In response to the alarm raised by residents of Bonny Island in Rivers State over the scarcity of the redesigned naira notes, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has intervened to ensure that the new notes are available across automated teller machines (ATMs) in the area.
Branch Controller of the CBN in Port Harcourt, Maxwell Okafor told Kristina Reports on Friday, January 27, 2023 in Bonny that the situation has been brought under control as all ATMs in the area are dispensing the new naira notes just as special arrangements have been made to supply operators of Point of Sale (POS) machines with the new notes.
Okafor was in Bonny with the Head, Development Banking, CBN, Port Harcourt, Stanley Oruyeigha, and other officials of the bank to monitor the level of compliance with the CBN directives to the commercial banks on the redesigned naira notes in the area.
He reiterated that in view of the fact that the old Naira notes will cease to become legal tender in Nigeria by January 31, 2023 the CBN has ensured that adequate amounts of the redesigned Naira notes are supplied to all banks operating across the country, especially in Bonny Island.
“We are here to sensitize the people of Bonny Island about the redesigned naira that is being introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria and to let them know that the old naira will cease to be legal tender after 31st of January.”
“Also, we are here to tell them that banks are bound to collect the old money until that 31st of January. If there is any bank that refuses to collect it, you call us to report it.”
He said the various concerns raised by customers and the general public with regards to the redesigned naira notes have been adequately addressed, stressing that all automated teller machines (ATMs) in the island have been supplied with and dispensing the new notes when the CBN team visited, stressing, however, that for now, the new notes can only be gotten through the ATMs and not paid over the counter.
“We have addressed the people’s questions. After monitoring the situation in the banks to day we are very well satisfied that the banks got adequate supply of the new currency and that is what the people are actually complaining about that the money is scarce.
“That is the instruction that they should not pay over the counter but put the new notes in the ATM for now.”
“But all the banks are well supplied. All the ATMs that we visited are up and running and they are paying new notes. We have told them that no ATM should dispense old notes. We are already aware of the large calls for the new notes. So, we are satisfied with what we saw on ground.”
He urged the people of the area to hasten up with returning their old naira notes to the banks and make efforts to collect the new notes before the deadline on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, announcing that the commercial banks would be open to receive the old notes through the weekend.
“Our message to the people of Bonny especially the business community is to take their old notes to the bank on or before 31st of January 2023.
Recall that the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele had on Thursday, January 26, 2023 announced after a meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the bank that the deadline for cessation of the old naira notes remains sacrosanct and would not be extended.
The CBN team led by its Branch Controller in Port Harcourt, Maxwell Okafor had upon arrival in Bonny Island paid a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Bonny Chiefs Council, Se-Alabo Dagogo Claude-Wilcox, where they intimated him of the purpose of their visit to the area.
He appealed for support from the Bonny Kingdom traditional institution in disseminating the information relating to the CBN policy on the redesigned naira notes to the people of the area.
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