Enugu Residents Cry Out As Cash Scarcity Bites Harder

Enugu residents have decried difficulty in getting cash for their daily usage, saying that it has negatively affected socio-economic activities in the area.

They expressed their views in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Monday, urging the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) to urgently look into the crisis and provide solutions.

The residents said that both the old and the new naira notes are scarce, hindering their businesses and making it difficult for them to meet basic family needs.

Onyechi Okechukwu, a businessman, said he had not been able to access cash to buy food for his family.

Okechukwu said that his efforts to withdraw money over the counter from commercial banks failed as the banks told him that they did not have cash.

He said that the cash scarcity has put much pressure on the average Nigerian, urging that it should not continue.

Another resident of the area, who preferred anonymity, accused bank workers of hoarding new naira notes, urging CBN to intensify monitoring.

According to her, Point of Sale (POS) operators are taking advantage of the situation to extort the masses.

“POS operators now charge 20 per cent of every amount you want to take.

"It is outrageous. Nigerians do not deserve the suffering.

“The question now is not whether you have money in your account but if you can withdraw the money. It is really very unfortunate,’’ she said.

Joy Eze, a civil servant, described civil servants in the state as the worst hit by the situation.

She said that they could not access their salaries and could not afford transport fares to their workplaces.