The Abia State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has slammed the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

The NUJ expressed dismay over the failure of the CBN to issue a categorical statement on the use or otherwise of old naira notes.

The NUJ made its position known through a communique it issued at the end of its monthly congress held at NUJ press centre, Umuahia.

The communique, which was signed by the Chairman of NUJ in Abia, Comrade Victor Ndukwe, the Secretary of the Council, Comrade Adaeze Ralph Igbokwe and other communique drafting committee members, noted that the refusal by the CBN to take a position after the Supreme Court ruling, was affecting the lives of Abia residents.

It added that the ugly situation was increasing the hardship being experienced by bank customers and also affecting the general well-being of Abians.

The council urged the CBN to, without further delay, issue an official and categorical statement on the co-existence of old N1000 and N500 with the newly introduced denominations of N1000 and N500, as doing so would save Abians from further suffering.

The communique went further:

“Congress urges Abia State Government to adhere strictly to the terms of agreement it reached lately with the organized Labour with regard to defraying the arrears of salaries and pensions owed civil servants and pensioners in order to improve their welfare.

“Congress also calls on the state and the federal governments to pragmatically address the lingering scarcity and hike in price of petroleum products which inflicted further economic hardship on Nigerians as they are responsible for the galloping inflation in the country.”