CBN Reads Riot Act To Banks In Ogun, Amidst Anxiety Over The New Notes Scarcity
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has read a riot act to branches of banks in Abeokuta and other parts of Ogun State, which are yet to load the newly designed Naira notes into their Automated Teller Machines (ATM).
There is anxiety in the state, particularly in the state capital, over the failure of most of the banks to start loading new notes into their ATM, few days to the January 31 deadline. When the old notes would no longer be legal tender.
But some of the banks, including First Bank of Nigeria, Zenith Bank, Polaris Bank and Access Bank had started loading the new notes into the ATM of their branches in the city.
But Gurantee Trust Bank (GTB) is still loading old notes into the ATM of most of its branches in the state.
The apex bank says its officials are conducting random monitoring of banks in the state, to ensure they loaded old Naira notes into their ATM.
The state comptroller of CBN branch in Abeokuta, Alhaji Wahab Oseni warns that stiff sanctions await any of the banks, which defaulted on the CBN’s directive to load the new notes into their ATM.
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The CBN Controller, speaking during a sensitization visit to the Lafenwa market in Abeokuta, on the new Naira notes, said banks had been directed to start loading the new notes into their ATMs as from January 13, 2023.
He assured the traders that there was sufficient quantity of new notes to go round before the January 31 deadline.
The CBN comptroller, however, urged them to return the old notes in their possession to banks, or do so through alternate banking system such as the Point of Sales (PoS).
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Thursday in Abuja updated President Muhammadu Buhari on the activities of the bank.
The CBN governor, who briefed the president, had earlier on Thursday morning attended a meeting between the president and the visiting Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development, Dr Sid Ould Tah, at the State House, Abuja.
Emefiele’s visit to the Presidential Villa was the first since he resumed work at the CBN after his leave on Jan. 12, 2022.
It was speculated that the CBN governor traveled out of the country amidst fears he would be apprehended by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) over several allegations against him, including terrorism financing.
However, the DSS dismissed such allegations, including online reports that its operatives on Monday invaded the headquarters of the CBN and took over the office of the governor of the apex bank.
