Following the 31st January deadline for the currency swap by the Central Bank of Nigeria, for the old naira notes of two hundred, five hundred and one thousand naira, residents of Awka and environs have besieged bank offices in Awka, ANAMBRA PEOPLE reports.
At some of the banks, majority of the customers came to the banks as early 6am in the morning but because of much crowd, malfunctioning of Automated Teller Machines and scarcity of the new naira notes, they could not withdraw the money they came for.
It was equally observed that bank officials were having a very difficult time trying to control their teeming customers, both those who came to deposit old naira notes and those who came to withdraw new ones.
Some of the bank customers, including a pregnant woman, complained of how long they have spent in the banks in their quest to withdraw money without success.
Another customer confirmed he deposited all his old money in the bank, went to Automated Teller Machine to withdraw new ones without success, lamenting how frustrating the whole process was and the scarcity of the new naira notes which he opined might be Central Bank of Nigeria’s way of introducing cashless economy.
He further expressed worry that if the Central Bank introduces cashless economy, it would adversely affect uneducated aged people in the rural.
Some point-of-sale operators also complained of the inability of the banks to give them enough new notes for their businesses which they said is affecting them negatively as their customers are now rejecting old naira notes.
ANAMBRA PEOPLE gathered that at Eke Awka market, buyers and sellers still transact business with the old naira notes because of the scarcity of the new naira notes.
One of the traders disclosed that based on the Central Bank’s directive, the leadership of the market visited some of the banks and they gave them assurance that they would open for business this weekend to receive old naira notes but not for full day and he encouraged Eke Awka traders to still receive old notes from their customers as they still have the weekend and Tuesday next week, to deposit to the bank.
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