The Periscope Global
He was waiting for his “change” balance. The vegetable seller went to about five shops before her colleague who’s just arrived offered a bailout with a ripped N100 note.
The buyer rejected the money. It was however given by a commercial tricyclist who also collected it from passengers who must have also been given in either for exchanges of goods or other services.
He was given similar mutilated N100 naira when he bought N400 naira tomatoes but he couldn’t collect it, he instead requested he should be given additional N100 worth tomatoes for his N500 balance.
He couldn’t demand for additional N100 leaves because he would want to use the balance for transport back home; it was the only money he was left with and he couldn’t trek home due to distance and scorching sun..
“It’s the kind of N100 in circulation. Trust me. Any commercial tricyclist can accept it,” the vegetable seller told him.
Joining the passengers, he was to be the first to disembark with another passenger who gave a new N200 note to be returned N100.
To his amazement, the tricyclist collected the ripped N100 note from him without grudging and the passenger who gave the new N200 would not reject the ripped N100 given to him by the tricyclist.
Earlier at the market, he was told that the central bank did not print new 50 and 100 naira notes “perhaps, government plans to phase them out of circulation”.
Whether or not the insinuation has any element of truth, he thought that he couldn’t keep such a ripped money, it would further be shredded in his purse, counting for additional losses to him.
“Appropriate authorities ought to do something about this embarrassment,” he would exclaim.