NEWS
Lamentations as Cash Scarcity Hits Kaduna, Kano, Katsina
With barely two weeks until Christmas and the subsequent new year celebrations, getting cash in Kaduna, Kano and Katsina States has now become an extremely herculean task.
The results have bemoaned the obnoxious situation which was reminiscent of a similar ugly development during the 2022 yuletide season.
The distrausted residents have therefore called for an urgent action by the concerned authorities in order not to hamper the forthcoming Christmas and end-of-year festivities.
In Kaduna city, some Point of Sale (POS) vendors have lamented the unbecoming and unnecessary cash shortage as banks were no longer dispensing cash more than N20,000.
Some of the vendors, who spoke to newsmen said they started experiencing the cash shortage in December.
Adamu Amadu said he got his cash from a business man by making transfer to him with little charges.
“We used to charge N100 per N10,000 transaction but now we charge N200 and most of the times our cash finish early due to the high demand.
“I don’t think Nigerians are ready for a cashless policy,” he said.
Similarly, Ibrahim Nur stated that he was only attending to customers requesting for lesser amounts ranging from N1000 to N10,000 only due to the dire dearth of cash.
Meanwhile, some customers patronising POS vendors have decried the high service rates, saying that the bank also charges for transactions.
Bilkisu Moda said she visited three POS centres searching for cash, with no positive response, adding that she eventually withdrew from an Automated Teller Machine after trekking a long distance.
On her part, Jamila Sani said she withdrew N5,000 and paid N100 service fee, which she said was the normal price she usually paid.
She urged the government to ease the stress of the masses as most small business owners heavily depended on cash for transactions.
In Kafanchan, the residents have expressed their frustration over the current cash situation in separate interviews with newsmen.
Felicia Christopher, a POS operator, said that the situation had greatly impacted her business.
“The lack of cash has seriously affected my business as i don’t make much profit as before.
“The banks don’t give cash beyond a certain limit in a day and it’s really frustrating,” she stated.
Another POS operator, Sadiq Abdulazeez, explained that the cash crunch had forced him to temporarily shut down operations.
An event planner, Bulus Audu, said the lack of information on the cause of the cash shortage was not helping matters.
For Nathaniel Bawa, a civil servant, he wondered why cash scarcity has become common at the end of every year.
Bawa called on the Federal Government to take necessary steps to address the situation as the yuletide season approaches.
Report says that most POS operators now collect twice the amount they hitherto charged per transaction as a result of the difficulty in sourcing cash.
In Zaria, Malam Bilyaminu Musa, a businessman, of Layin Zomo Area of Sabon Gari LGA said grains merchants defied risks and reverted to the old style of sourcing cash from Abuja and other parts of the country for their businesses.
He said the cash scarcity had negatively impacted on grain businesses at major markets in parts of Kaduna, Kano and Katsina States.
Musa, who trades in maize, cowpea, soybean and pepper, said the influx of merchants from other parts of the country and neighbouring Niger Republic had stabilized the prices of grains in the markets.
According to him, most of the merchants were coming with huge amounts of money to purchase the farm produce from the local farmers.
“If not because of these cohorts of merchants, prices of grains would have crashed due to scarcity of cash.
“We are in harvest season now, many farmers are not accepting cash transfers, some do not have bank accounts while others are afraid of fake alerts,’’ Musa said.
He said most of the grain merchants have partners who provide funds for the large-scale purchase of farm produce during harvest season, stressing that cash scarcity was a major bottleneck for the large-scale purchase.
Musa explained that in spite of receiving such funds from their partners for the large-scale purchase of grains, they find it difficult to access cash from the commercial banks.
Similarly, some commercial banks’ customers and Point of Sale (PoS) operators in Zaria have also decried the inability of the banks to give cash in the banking hall.
Report says that customers who were in the banks to withdraw cash were informed by the bank officials that they do not have cash.
Some of the customers interviewed by newsmen expressed sadness over the inability of some of the commercial banks to give them cash for their needs.
Malam Awwal Abdullahi, who spoke after going round many ATM machines to withdraw noted that they had no cash.
Abdullahi stressed the need for the Central Bank of Nigeria and other regulators to take concrete actions against some of the commercial banks that were not putting cash in their ATM machines.
In Kano, the residents have raised concerns over the ongoing scarcity of Naira notes across the state,with many resorting to alternative payment methods like POS services, which have also been affected by the crisis.
They said the situation was once again plunging them into hardship, reminiscent of the currency swap period.
The residents urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and commercial banks to take an urgent action to resolve the cash crisis, which is severely disrupting daily life in the state.
Some of the residents, who spoke to newsmen explained that the scarcity was making it increasingly difficult for them to meet their daily needs.
A resident, Aliyu Yakubu, lamented the inconvenience caused by the limited access to physical cash, particularly as businesses, transportation, and daily transactions increasingly depend on electronic payment systems.
“I’ve been to several ATMs, but they were either out of cash or not working,” he decried.
He urged the authorities concerned to investigate the matter and punish those responsible.
Another resident, Aminu Yusuf, lamented that he was facing difficulty to pay for goods, and customers were also struggling to buy from him.
Yusuf called on CBN to make more cash available and also sanction banks that hoard cash.
A civil servant , Aisha Ali, voiced her frustration over the difficulties she has been facing.
She explained how it has become increasingly challenging for her to purchase essential household items due to the unavailability of cash.
“It is my hard-earned money and i can’t access it, especially at the bank. It’s frustrating, and it’s putting me in a very difficult situation,” she said.
Ali also called on CBN to urgently take action against the banks and persons responsible for the cash shortage.
A POS agent, Nura Abubakar, blamed the commercial banks for the difficulties in accessing cash.
According to him ,the constant breakdown of POS terminals and the high transaction fees have exacerbated the challenges faced by the customers.
“Banks are not releasing enough cash to us,” he said.
Musa Saleh ,a POS agent, explained that the scarcity has also impacted their operations, attributing the problem to the banks.
He said that the banks were no longer cooperative, even with their own POS agents.
Saleh decried, “When we go to the bank, they always tell us to come back next day. And when we return, they give us another excuse.
“Some people are unfairly blaming us for the charges,” he said, emphasizing that this not the right approach.”
In Katsina, a cross section of the residents have expressed concern over what they called lack of money at majority of bank’s Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and the Point of Sale (POS) operators.
An investigation conducted by our Correspondent in Katsina revealed that most of the banks’ ATMs were not functional.
The investigation further revealed that some few banks dispensing the cash were characterised by long queues where a person would spend several hours before getting some amount of money.
It also showed that the other banks’ ATMs were dispensing only a limited amount.
Malam Abubakar Muhammad, one of the residents, said that he went to an ATM to withdraw some amount of money, only to find out that the machine had no money.
He lamented that the banks now don’t put money at ATMs, the situation causing more hardship to the people, and crippling business operations.
Muhammad revealed: “Even inside the banking halls at the counter, his bank now gives only a limited amount of N20, 000.
“Majority of the banks don’t put cash in the ATMs”.
Muhammad, therefore, urged the Federal Government to hasten measures to address the problem.
On his part, Aminu Abdullahi, lamented how banks nowadays do not put money in their ATMs, leaving their customers in difficulty.
Abdullahi said that now that the customers have resorted to patronising POS operators who also charged higher money.
According to him, POS operators have increased their charges from N100 to N200 for every N10,000.
He also appealed to the authorities concerned to take urgent measures to address the problem.
In the same vein, some POS operators yave also complained about the cash crunch that forced them to increase their charges.
The operators claimed that they face difficulty in getting the cash to give to their customers.
A POS operator, who pleaded for anonymity claimed that the banks now don’t put money at the ATMs, preferring to give it to the POS operators.
“I ran out of money yesterday, I had to struggle to get the money for my operation.
“I was opportuned to get the money from a bank, but they charged N1,000 for every N100,000, that is why we jerked up our charges, because we cannot operate on losses,” he said.
Following the negative development, the operators increased their charges in most of the places.
The POS operators increased their charges from N100 to N200 and above for every N10,000 while some operators charge higher than that amount.
Tukur Hamza, a resident of Katsina, said that for long, he preferred to patronise POS operators, because their services were more accessible.
He said that as a result of the unavailability of the cash at most of the banks’ ATMs, withdrawing money from the POS outlets has also become a difficult thing.
Hamza, therefore, urged the relevant authorities to intensify efforts in finding lasting solutions to the problem before it worsens.
Meanwhile, Vice-President, Kashim Shettima, has urged Nigerian Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) to ensure seamless availability of Naira notes to the banking public.
Shettima made the call on Friday in Abuja, at the 2024 Bankers ‘ Committee Retreat.
He was represented by Tope Fasua, Special Adviser on Economic Affairs, Office of the Vice-President.
He urged the committee to address some unwholesome practices by some Point of Sale (PoS) agents which impeded the availability of cash.
According to him, the scarcity of cash is constituting an impediment to financial inclusion.
“We would like to take this opportunity to appeal strongly to the committee to urgently clear up thorny issues in the sector, some of which are impeding the efforts at financial and economic inclusion.
” Nigerians complain bitterly that they are unable to access even minimal cash when most needed.
“There seems to have been some moral hazard and adverse selection problem with the involvement of street-side PoS merchants.
” Nigerians complain about high and arbitrary charges and exploitation by rogue agents, which we are sure you will be able to tackle with concerted efforts,” he said.
Daily Asset also learnt that CBN has reportedly set up various committees to monitor the activities of the commercial banks across the country.
This was with the view to curtailing the alleged unsavoury acts of some of the banks that have been excarbating the cash crunch in the country. (NAN)
NEWS
UPDATE: Sacked Oba of Onise Risks Imprisonment as Contempt Proceedings Filed In High Court Against Him
By David Torough, Abuja
The legal battle over the Onise of Ise stool in Lagos State has taken a new turn, with contempt proceedings initiated against Ibrahim Adebowale Saliu, whose installation as the Onise of Ise Kingdom was recently nullified by the Lagos State High Court.
The development follows a September 11, 2026 order by Justice Yetunde Adesola Adesanya in Suit No.
LD/0022PRA/2026, directing the Lagos State Government to withdraw the appointment and recognition granted to Saliu and setting aside his installation and coronation conducted on August 21.The court also ordered Saliu to stop parading himself or holding himself out as the Onise of Ise pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
The fresh contempt proceedings are contained in documents made available by counsel to the claimants, The Legal Hub Partnership, which represents members of the Okuoye Ruling House, Igbekodo Quarters, Ise Town.
A Form 48 notice dated September 15 was issued against Saliu, warning him of the consequences of alleged disobedience of the court’s orders.
Similar notices were issued to the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr Nurudeen Yekini Lanre Agbaje; and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Mrs Kikelomo Bolarinwa.
The notices relate to the orders made by the court in the ongoing chieftaincy dispute and warn that continued failure to comply could result in contempt proceedings and attendant legal consequences.
In the September 11 ruling, Justice Adesanya had ordered the withdrawal of the instrument of appointment issued to Saliu and nullified the installation and coronation carried out on August 21.
The court further restrained him from presenting himself as the Onise of Ise Kingdom while the substantive case remains pending.
Following the ruling, The Legal Hub Partnership, in a letter dated September 15 and addressed to the Lagos State Government, formally drew the authorities’ attention to the orders and urged compliance.
The law firm specifically asked the government not to recognise Saliu or accord him the official status, rights or privileges attached to the Onise stool unless and until a competent court makes a contrary order.
The latest development stems from a dispute over the process through which Saliu emerged as Onise of Ise.
The claimants, Alhaji Adeniyi Atere, Mrs Idowu Adebisi Lana and Mr Babatunde Ekundayo Lana, instituted the suit for themselves and on behalf of the Okuoye Ruling House.
The September 11 ruling had found that an earlier interim order issued on August 13 had been infringed when the disputed installation proceeded on August 21.
The court consequently granted mandatory orders directing the reversal of the installation and withdrawal of the instruments of office.
However, the court made clear that its orders were interim in nature and would remain in force pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
The underlying dispute over who is legally entitled to occupy the Onise of Ise stool therefore remains before the court, even as the latest contempt proceedings introduce a separate legal issue concerning compliance with its orders.
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
League of Women Voters
of Nigeria (NILOWV) on Tuesday, tasks the National Assembly on the quick passage of Special Seat bill for women and people with disability.
The President of NILOWV, Hon.
Irene Awunah-Ikyegh, stated this while briefing the media in commemoration of 2026 International day of Democracy, in Abuja.She lamented that no nation can claim to leave a lasting democratic legacy without it’s commitment to inclusive democracy that include women and people with disabilities.
She there begged NASS not to waste the opportunity but to make history, the opportunity to tell the daughters of
Nigeria that Parliament sees them, the opportunity to tell young women that their political aspirations
are legitimate, the opportunity to strengthen our democracy.
She said, “The Special Seats Bill presents an opportunity to leave a lasting democratic legacy. The question is not
whether Nigerian women are asking for too much. The question is whether Nigeria can continue to
claim that it is committed to inclusive democracy while women remain so dramatically
underrepresented.
“You have the opportunity to make history, the opportunity to tell the daughters of
Nigeria that Parliament sees them, the opportunity to tell young women that their political aspirations
are legitimate, the opportunity to strengthen our democracy. Please, do not waste this opportunity”.
She noted that, “This day is not merely a day for speeches, ceremonies and declarations. It is a day for reflection. It is a day to ask difficult questions. It is a day to examine whether the democracy we practise truly reflects the aspirations of the people. It is a day to ask whether every citizen has a meaningful opportunity to participate. It is a day to ask whether our institutions are working. It is a day to ask whether our political
parties are truly democratic. And, most importantly for us at NILOWV, it is a day to ask whether Nigerian women who constitute approximately half of our population are being given a fair and meaningful opportunity to participate in political leadership and decision-making”.
She lamented, “The final list of National Assembly candidates provides us with a sobering picture. There are 4,408
candidates contesting for seats in the Senate and House of Representatives. Of this number: 3,965 are
men while only 443 are women. Women therefore constitute approximately 10 percent of the candidates, while men constitute approximately 90 percent. This means that, for roughly every one
woman appearing on the National Assembly ballot, there are about nine men.
“These figures are more than statistics they represent the continuing imbalance in access to political power. They tell us that although Nigerian women are participating in the political process, the pathway from participation to actual political power remains extremely difficult and this is where we must
distinguish between participation and representation.
“Women may constitute a large proportion of voters Women may attend political meetings. Women may
mobilise communities. Women may campaign tirelessly. Women may provide food, logistics and
grassroots structures during elections.
“Women may even constitute the majority of volunteers in some
political activities but when it comes to the point at which tickets are allocated, resources are distributed and candidates are selected for elective office, the numbers suddenly collapse.
“That is the problem Women are often visible in political mobilisation but invisible in political power that
is not equality that is not inclusion and that is not the democracy Nigeria should be proud of” .
She decries, “We must humanise these figures. Behind the 443 women on the ballot are hundreds of Nigerian women
who have decided that they are ready to serve but behind the thousands of women who are not on the
ballot are also stories. There is the woman who wanted to contest but could not afford the nomination
and expression-of-interest fees. There is the woman who had the qualifications but lacked the political
godfather.
“There is the woman whose party told her to wait. There is the woman who was encouraged to contest but later discovered that the ticket had already
been informally allocated. There is the woman who was told that she could serve better as a campaign
mobiliser than as a candidate. There is the woman who was warned that politics is too dangerous for
her.
“There is the woman who was threatened. There is the woman who was sexually harassed. There is
the woman who was subjected to online abuse.There is the woman who was told that she was too ambitious. There is the woman whose competence
was questioned simply because she is a woman and there are women who have watched all these
experiences and quietly concluded:
“Perhaps politics is not for people like me.”
She therefore concluded by urging every Nigerian not to give up on democracy, ‘Instead, demand a better democracy.
Democracy belongs to citizens. If we withdraw, others will’.
The Abia Government has elevated selected cultural and natural sites to state heritage and monuments as part of efforts to position them for recognition as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, said this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting on Monday in Umuahia.
Kanu said the State Executive Council had approved the declaration of selected heritage and natural sites as state heritage and monuments to strengthen their preservation and promotion.
He said the approved sites included the National War Museum, Ojukwu Bunker and Government College, all in Umuahia, as state monuments.
He also listed the Ibom Waterfall in Arochukwu and Ulochukwu Caves at Alayi Bende as state natural monuments.
According to him, the elevation of the sites would enhance their tourism potential and position them for possible recognition as UNESCO heritage sites.
Kanu also announced the designation of Aba as a Creative and Innovative City, saying the move was part of efforts to promote the state’s cultural, creative and tourism potential.
He further said that the retrofitting of the Ojukwu Bunker and National War Museum had reached about 80 per cent completion and was expected to be completed before the end of 2026.
The commissioner said that the projects, when completed, would enhance the preservation and historical value of the sites, improve visitor experience and increase their tourism potential.
Kanu said the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy had commenced the development of the Ibom Waterfall Tourism Corridor in Arochukwu.
He said that initial development works, including the grading of access roads to the waterfall, had commenced, adding that the project was expected to be completed before the end of 2026.
According to him, the project is expected to unlock additional tourism and economic opportunities in the state.
He said that the ministry had also commenced the erection of monuments at strategic locations across the state to preserve Abia’s heritage and honour its heroes and heroines.
Kanu said one of the monuments would honour the heroines of the 1929 Aba Women’s Uprising, celebrating their courage, resilience, resistance and leadership.
The commissioner said that the initiatives reflected the state government’s broader efforts to preserve its historical and cultural assets while using them to drive tourism and economic development.
On tax rates in the state, Kanu said the rates being circulated were not new, adding that most dated back to 2020 and were introduced by the previous administration.
He said that the Abia Board of Internal Revenue could not increase tax rates without enabling laws and that no such increase had been introduced by the board.
Kanu also dismissed reports that an akara seller was paying N50, 000 in tax, describing the claim as false.
“Akara sellers don’t pay tax or levies, they pay daily tolls, and none can pay as high as N50, 000,” he said.
On gratuity payments, Kanu said that the state government had paid the batch covering 2001 to 2010, while preparations covering 2011 to 2025 were being processed.
He dismissed claims that the government was compelled by the opposition to commence gratuity payments, describing the narrative as misleading.
He explained that the government had incorporated gratuity provisions into its 2026 to 2030 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework to ensure that future arrears did not accumulate.
“This does not translate to the payments being terminated in 2031.
“So, as soon as the internal processes are done with, these payments will continue at pace and in batches,” Kanu said.(NAN)
UPDATE: Sacked Oba of Onise Risks Imprisonment as Contempt Proceedings Filed In High Court Against Him
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