CBN Says Banks Will Work On Saturdays For Old Notes Collection
Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has said that banks will work on Saturdays to receive the old Naira notes from customers.
The leader of the CBN team to Ebonyi on new Naira notes, Mr Kama Ukpai, made this known on Friday, while addressing traders at Eke Market, Afikpo, during its enlightenment campaign programme.
Ukpai advised the public to visit banks to deposit old naira notes as there would be no extension on the January 31 deadline for the notes’ submission.
“Banks would work on Saturdays for this purpose and there are no limits to amounts that can be deposited.
“The CBN team is in Ebonyi to ensure the implementation of the directives as we have not directed any bank to stop collecting old notes,” he said.
He advised the public to report any bank still dispensing old notes through its Automated Teller Machines, ATM, to the CBN for sanctions.
“We visited 14 different banks in Abakaliki and 13 were dispensing the new notes through their ATM.
“We have communicated the bank that is still dispensing the old notes and wish to inform the public that there is no shortage of the new notes,” he said.
Ukpai advised the public to use available electronic channels for their monetary transactions as the CBN was increasing its enlightenment on their applications.
Also speaking, the CBN Abakaliki Branch Controller, Mr Daniel Ogbogu, said that dispensing of the new naira notes through various bank ATM had been successful.
“Since the beginning of this week for example, we have been working assiduously to ensure the dispensing of the notes.
“We have adopted spot checks on various ATM to ensure compliance by banks,” he said.
He also noted that reports indicated that 95 per cent of banks were complying and those not doing so had been warned on the issue.
Adding his voice, the National Orientation Agency, NOA, Mr. Desmond Onwo, pointed out that the agency had been enlightening the citizens on the new naira notes and alternative ways of transactions.
Onwo, represented by NOA Chief Orientation Officer in Afikpo, Mrs Chinyere Okogwu, informed that NOA had carried out campaigns about the notes in communities even before the arrival of the CBN team.
Expressing their gratitude for the enlightenment programme, the Chairman, Afikpo Market Amalgamated Traders Association, Mr Johnson Inya-Oka, thanked the CBN, but appealed for extension of the deadline for the old notes deposits.
He observed that most of the traders have not even seen the new notes, therefore, more time is needed for people to know about the notes.
During the exercise, traders and other people were taught how to differentiate the new notes from the fake ones, as well as on usage of electronic transaction channels.
