- Online transactions fail
- Chaos at banks; customers fight
There seems to be no end in sight yet to the hardship the banking public is passing through over the lingering scarcity of the old and new naira notes.
Many Nigerians yesterday continued to queue Nigerians at ATM locations and pay exorbitant withdrawal charges to Point of Sale (Pos) operators.
The citizens are also grappling with failed online bank transactions.
Despite the extension by the Central Bank of Nigeria, of the deadline for the old naira notes’ existence to February 10 after an initial January 31, Nigerians, who spoke to our correspondents in several states yesterday, said they could still not get access to both the old naira and new naira notes.
“A company I know did not open today because the staff had a problem coming to the office. Although they have been paid their January salary, they are unable to withdraw money and so can’t pay their fares to get to the office,” said a resident of Surulere in Lagos where many shop owners complained of low patronage.
A video circulating on the social media yesterday showed a woman in a banking hall protesting lack of access to her fund. The woman, who stripped herself half-naked, demanded that her account be closed.
One of our correspondents, who visited some banks at the Jabi District of Abuja, observed that the door to the ATM gallery of the Zenith Bank branch in the area was chained.
At the First Bank’s branch in the area, there were long queues of customers behind ATMs that were not dispensing money.
A customer said the bank officials disconnected the ATMs after a fight broke out between two customers.
“Since then, we’ve been waiting and begging them to resume service but they’re not willing,” he said.
There were banking halls filled with customers, but with no cash.
A customer was heard lamenting that she was told in clear terms that there was no cash to give out.
“We can’t give what we don’t have; there’s no cash. We can only give N100 notes and below to customers, but we don’t have them. We’re also awaiting supply of new notes so that we can load the ATMs,” a bank official said.
Okon Inang, who said he went to a UBA ATM point at Asokoro, Abuja, stated, “Usually, the bank does not pay more than N10,000 per transaction if that’s not your bank.”
In Kano, some businesses were said to have been crippled owing to the scarcity of naira notes. Popular markets in the state were deserted as many traders were struggling to get naira notes.
Maiduguri PoS operators travel to Damaturu in search of cash
In Maiduguri, Point-of-Sale (POS) operators travel to Damaturu, Yobe State, in search of cash.
One of them, Abu Suleiman, expressed fear that he and his colleagues might be out of business due to the scarcity of naira notes.
“We traveled to Damaturu yesterday to get some cash for our customers, it was seamless, as we speak now in Maiduguri, the frustration is boldly written on the faces of people. I spent about 8 hours in Access bank three days ago yet I could not get the money,” he said.
Hiccups at Abuja airport toll gate
A traveler said he almost missed his flight at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja yesterday due to long queues at the airport toll gate with people struggling to gain access but did not have naira notes to pay the fee as toll operators declined cashless transactions.
At some satellite communities of Abuja, motorcycle and tricycle riders hiked their fares amidst the naira scarcity; while at Mararaba, Nasarawa State, commuters were seen ‘buy’ new naira notes.
Online bank transactions fail
There were also complaints of failing online bank transactions.
Bella Onwu, an Abuja resident, said she could not transfer money on her GT World application and when she tried Zenith, the transaction was declined but her account was debited.
“Apart from my case, I know of over 10 persons that had tried transactions around PoS operators; some failed and some remained unreversed.”
Jummai Ishaya, a PoS operator at Garki market, said she stopped accepting transfers from Unity and Zenith Banks after multiple transfer failures on Wednesday.
“I don’t want trouble from customers. So, when they come with a Unity Bank or Zenith Bank card, I will just not accept that. And for the cash withdrawal, we have limited cash; some of my colleagues have not operated since Monday because of lack of cash; while some of us got cash because we had to pay more to wholesale bank agents who swap the old naira notes,” she explained.
By Sunday M. Ogwu, Kamar Ogundele, Simon E. Sunday (Abuja), Vincent Nwanma (Lagos), Tijani Labaran (Lokoja), Ali R. Ali (Dutse), Olatunji Omirin (Maiduguri), Peter Moses (Abeokuta) & Zahraddeen Y. Shuaibu (Kano)
