I don’t know the number of new notes printed – CBN deputy gov, Aisha Ahmad

The Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria in charge of Financial Stability, Aisha Ahmad, has said she does not know the quantity of the new Naira notes the CBN printed and released for circulation on December 15.

Recall that last Thursday, the apex bank released the redesigned N200, N500, and N1000 notes. Nigerians have been complaining about the scarcity of the redesigned notes. Some people claim bank officials only give them N2000 worth of the redesigned notes whenever they visit the bank. Also, ATMs are still dispensing the old notes.

The lawmakers had on Wednesday resolved that a deputy governor of the CBN should appear to brief the House today in the absence of the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, who is outside the country to attend to health issues. While appearing before the House of Representatives to brief the House on the apex bank’s cashless policy and cash withdrawal limits, Ahmad said she is not aware of the quantities of the printed redesigned notes.

A lawmaker, Sada Soli, in the course of the grilling of the CBN deputy governor, raised concerns over the non-availability of the new notes, days after it was were released to the public and asked her to disclose the quantities of new notes printed.

Responding, the CBN deputy governor said she does not know the quantities of notes printed by the apex bank.

Her response caused a stir in the chamber as the lawmakers wondered why she would not be aware of the figure. The CBN deputy governor however said she was being careful so as not to give a wrong figure.