President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Kano State has been postponed following the CBN’s January 31, deadline of the new naira notes.
This was confirmed by the state governor, Umar Ganduje who disclosed that the State wrote to the Presidency that the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to commission some projects be postponed.
He made this known during his interactive session with scholars, legislators, political leaders and business community in the State at the Government House, Kano, on Friday.
He noted that the decision was taken to avoid any unforeseen circumstance.
“As we are waiting for this important visit, we found ourselves in this situation, which puts citizens into untold hardship. For security purposes, we wrote to the Presidency that President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Kano be postponed.
“We got an acknowledgement copy of the letter. People are really suffering because of this policy,” the governor said, referring to the crisis over the new naira note.
During the meeting with sections of citizens in the State, they accepted that the decision was a unanimous one.
Two serving Senators from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya and Barau Jibrin, members of the House of Representatives and thirty legislators from the State House of Assembly were amongst the groups that put their weight behind the governor.
He lamented that, “There are no banks in most of our rural communities. How these people get new Naira notes is of great concern. Just look at what is happening in our urban areas, people go and spend hours upon hours in banks. And without any assurances of getting the new notes.”
Even at the Point of Sales (POS) according to the governor, one cannot transact with ease, hinting that many of them closed shops due to uncertainty.
He emphasised that Kano being a commercial hub must be heard loudly, insisting that, “This problem affects all of us. Therefore, our voice must be heard in all nooks and crannies. We are a commercial hub. As such, our position must be loud and clear.”
Governor Ganduje revealed further that under one platform, Nigerian governors, without consideration to party affiliation, sent delegates to President Buhari complaining about the hardship caused by the new development.
“Governors from all the political parties put heads together and sent delegates, but to no avail. So also traditional rulers followed the same path. But up till now, there is nothing in that respect,” disclosed.