With a view to ensure compliance by commercial banks on the dispensing of new redesigned Naira notes,officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) has embarked on a sensitisation campaign to the public and on the spot assessment tour in Adamawa state.
The CBN officials led by a Director, Internal Audit department, Mrs Alfa Lydia Ifeanyichukwu urged Nigerians to report any commercial bank that does not dispense the new redesigned Naira notes at its business outlets for sanctioning.
Mrs Ifeanyichukwu stressed that the New Naira Redesign policy came at a time all Nigerians are in dare need and its economy faced with many challenges.
Ifeanyichukwu said some of these constraints are averting the goal and objectives of achieving a decisive growth calling on Nigerians to support and contribute toward a successful implementation of the policy.
She told the gathering that the current series withdrawn from circulation will cease to be legal Tender after January 31,2023 noting that the new design and current series (old notes) are to circulate side by side until same date.
“We advise members of the public to ensure that they deposit cash holdings in these denominations at their commercial banks.
“There is no limit to how much a customer can deposit between now and January 31,2023,as the CBN has suspended bank charges and we encourage the public to explore other payment channels such as eNaira, POS, electronic transfer, USSD, internet banking and mobile operators and agents for their economic activities”.Ifeanyichukwu stated.
In his remarks, state Branch Controller of the CBN,Mr.Sanusi Sah Nyashi announced that any commercial bank found not dispensing the new notes would be sanctioned noting that the CBN has directed all commercial banks to reintroduce Saturday’s banking to meet up with the high demand by Nigerians.
Mr.Nyashi said that apex bank will be keenly monitoring the full implementation of the policy with a view to satisfy the economic demand of Nigerians.
Also speaking at the sensitisation lecture held at the famous Jimeta Ultra Modern Market,Chairman of the traders Union of the Market,Alhaji Musa Yaro (Sarkin Kasuwa) advised that the CBN need to do more in ensuring the availability of the new notes in the banks.
Yaro said that many of their members (traders) have been coming to them as leaders complaining that the banks are not dispensing the new Naira notes noting that something urgent need to be done.
Yaro advised the Apex bank to do more sensitisation work that can reach the larger population at the grass root areas where he said do not use banks for the commercial activities.
Some of the traders at the occasion expressed satisfaction with the awareness campaign taken to them at their business premises pledging to support the Apex bank to succeed in its currency policy.
Our correspondent in Yola Thursday reported that the CBN team,stakeholders and journalists visited some commercial banks including GTB,ZENITH and JAIZ Banks where customers were monitored cashing the new Naira notes respectively.
