“Close my account; I don’t want it again. Return my money. My children didn’t go to school yesterday. They will go today,” an exasperated woman, who stripped off to her bra and shorts, shouted in a banking hall in Yoruba.
She appeared to have been attended to as she picked up her clothes and followed a banker who beckoned on her in the viral video.
The trending viral video comes as at least seven governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are said to have entered a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari for matters connected to the scarcity of the new naira notes.
The party chieftains, like its candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have complained over the redesigned Naira, which they have said is targeted at politicians in the elections. Many are said to have been unable to change their old notes for new ones to oil their electioneering campaigns.
At Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs), there have been many reports and videos of fighting and verbal altercations.
At the Wema Bank Head Office on Marina Road, Victoria Island, Lagos, a coalition of civil society organisations staged a protest on Thursday against banks hoarding new naira notes.
A quick-fix solution appears not to be in sight as all parties in the fiasco – the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), commercial banks, Point of Sales operators, and customers trade blames over the scarcity of new Naira notes, which the CBN says it has given banks in sufficient quantities.
In the midst of all the drama, there are those who appear to have the notes in so much quantity as to trade in them and spray at parties.
Meanwhile, the CBN, the Nigerian Police and other security agencies are at work to fish out and prosecute hawkers and abusers of the Naira bank notes.
Abusers of the Naira notes have had a free rein in the past despite a law against the trend. It is a common feature at parties attended by top government officials. It happens almost every weekend in the country.
As always, the CBN frowns at such actions; but rarely with security agencies take action.
Thursday, it frowned at those who sell the newly redesigned banknotes and those who flagrantly abuse the legal tender by hurling wads of Naira notes in the air and stamping on the currency at social functions.
its director of Corporate Communications, Osita Nwanisobi, in a statement, said, “We have equally noticed the queues at Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) across the country and an upward trend in the cases of people stocking and aggregating the newly introduced banknotes they serially obtain from ATMs for reasons best known to them. Also worrisome are the reported cases of unregistered persons and non-bank officials swapping banknotes for members of the public, purportedly on behalf of the CBN.
“We wish to state unequivocally that, contrary to the practice of these unpatriotic persons, it is unlawful to sell the Naira, hurl (spray),or stamp on the currency under any circumstance whatsoever.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Section 21(3) of the Central Bank of NigeriaAct 2007 (As amended) stipulates that “spraying of, dancing or matching on the Naira or any note issued by the Bank during social occasions or otherwise howsoever shall constitute an abuse and defacing of the Naira or such note and shall be punishable under the law by fines or imprisonment or both.”
“Similarly, Section 21(4) states that “It shall also be an offence punishable under Sub-section (1) of this section for any person to hawk, sell or otherwise trade in the Naira notes, coins or any other note issued by the Bank.”
According to him, the bank, the Nigeria Police, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) are working to deal with the malaise.
“We, therefore, warn Nigerians, particularly those at social functions such as birthdays, weddings and funerals,to desist from disrespecting the Naira or risk being arrested by law enforcement agencies.
“While reiterating our commitment to Nigeriansto ensurethe effective distribution of the newly introduced Naira banknotes, we urge them to exercise patience as the CBN is working assiduously to address the challengeof queues at ATMs.
“In line with this resolve, the Govenor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has directed deposit money banks (DMBs) to commence the payment of the redesigned Naira notes over the counter, subject to a maximum daily payout limit of N20,000.
‘We also admonish members of the public to embrace and adopt other payment channels for their transactions.
‘The Naira is our legal tender and symbol of national pride. Therefore, letus respect it and handle it with care”, he stated.
Source: everyday.com.
