Residents of Jos, the capital of Plateau, have commended President Muhammadu Buhari, for the re-introduction of the old N200 note as legal tender alongside the new N200 note.
Some of the residents gave the commendation in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Jos.
NAN reports that the president had in a nationwide broadcast approved the re-introduction of the old N200 note as legal tender until April 10.
Mrs Jemimah Aku, a civil servant, said that the re-introduction of the old N200 note would ease the hardship currently being experienced by most Nigerians.
She maintained that the president’s directives would enable Nigerians to access cash from the Automated Teller Machines (ATM) and over-the-counter at banks, adding that it would reduce the tension across the nation.
‘’Allowing the old N200 note to co-exist with the new one is a good idea because it will enable Nigerians to access cash in banking halls and at ATMs.
“It will also reduce the tension in the country, because those who still have the old N200 note will now use it for buying and selling, and there will be more cash in circulation for use,” she said.
On her part, Mrs Regina Dabot, a petty trader, also lauded the president’s directive, insisting that both the new and old N200 notes co-existing would boost small-scale businesses in the nation.
“A lot of smaller businesses were already suffering, in fact, some have parked up, but I think with this development these will be revived and continue to thrive.
“This is because most of these petty traders depend on the smaller denomination for their trading, and the scarcity of cash recently experienced gave them a heavy blow.
“We are grateful to the president for being considerate, and we believe that our economy will now take proper shape moving forward,’’ she said.
Also commenting, Mr Gideon Sunday, who commended the president for the reintroduction of the old N200 note, however, said that doing so without the old N500 and N1000 notes “may likely not ease the current situation”.
He called on the president to reconsider his stance and extend the dateline by allowing all the old notes to be legal tender until April 10.
