Outrage As Nigerians Groan Over Naira Scarcity; Joe Igbokwe Screams Sabotage; Questions Jaiz Bank’s Supplies

By Ayodele Oni

There is outrage across the country over inability of Nigerians to withdraw money from their accounts.

This development has been going on since last week, when the deadline for deposit of old naira notes of two hundred, five hundred and one thousand was to close.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN)  Emefiele after consultation with President Mohammadu Buhari on Sunday announced that the deadline has been extended till February 11.

The situation is further compounded by the limit of N20, 000 which a customer can withdraw from the ATM machine, which is the only source of the new notes, as those that make withdrawals on counter are issued with old notes, or mutilated five naira, ten naira and hundred naira notes.

POS operators did not help matter as they hike

Narrating his ordeal at a branch of one of the old generation banks, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) Joe Igbokwe, describe the refusal of banks to issue out new notes as a sabotage.

“They are not receiving, they are not issuing out. I thought they are lying until I came here to notice that nothing is going on, no transaction.

“This is a complete sabotage. Few days to the presidential election, and we are witnessing this. Who is doing this?

“If you know you are going to collect one trillion, you should have produced over a trillion naira new notes. What are we talking about, few days to the presidential election.

“I see it as a complete sabotage and those in charge as a matter of urgency should do the needful.

I am aware a new generation banks is receiving and giving out. Where did this bank got the money?

Why are other big banks just sitting down. This is a complete sabotage and we cannot take it. I am here to take money and they said there is none.

“What is going to happen to ordinary people. If the gold rust, what will happen to iron?’

Another female customer of a new generation bank had to cause stir as she put off her clothes, shouting in Yoruba that she must collect all her money and close the account.

The CBN had however doused the tension with its directive early Thursday that banks should start dispensing new notes on counter, but each withdrawal is pegged at N20, 000 daily.