Angry Customers Storm Abuja CBN Office, Demand Cash For Daily Purchases

• We are currently stranded, out of business – PoS Operators wail

BY EDMOND ODOK – Smarting from the current Naira scarcity crisis across the country, dozens of angry cash depositors and PoS Operators on Wednesday stormed the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) branch office of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Garki, Abuja to demand improved circulation of the new Naira notes.

In the process, the day’s operations, especially movement in and out of the Bank’s premises located opposite the FCT Police Command headquarters, were effectively disrupted for hours.

The aggrieved customers said their visit to the CBN office was in compliance with the latest directives to deposit their old Naira notes with the apex bank through some laid down processes.

However, most of them confessed that their anger boiled over after the process became so tedious as they waited unattended to amid the scorching sun and unfriendly weather condition.

According to some of them who spoke with Forefront News, realising that the process was cumbersome and obviously turning into long hours of waiting without any intervention and explanation from the CBN officials, the action to block the apex bank’s office entrance was spontaneous.

And for hours, staff and visitors could not have access to the building with the apex bank’s security personnel looking on helplessness as events unfolded.

After several hours of barricading the building entrance and refusing entreaties to shift grounds, it took the spirited intervention of officers from the FCT Police Command and the CBN to calm the situation with a promise to the protesting cash depositors that conscious efforts were being made by the apex Bank to ensure the process becomes more seamless in the coming days.

One of the protesters, who claimed to speak on behalf of Abuja PoS Operators Association in the FCT, Ngbea Christopher said life has become so difficult for most of them as they have not been able to access cash for their daily operations.

Brandishing his PoS machines with other of his colleagues, Ngbea said; “Look at these three machines, I have not been able to operate any of them for transactions in almost one week now.

“The same goes for most of us across the FCT and the environs. So, how do they want us to survive under this punishing condition. We came here with the hope of depositing our old notes as CBN asked us to do. But we are disappointed because the CBN portal is not working and no official even bother to address us or give us the expected form to fill.”

Collaborating his colleagues’ position, Ernest Mgbede, who operates his PoS business along the Wumba/Apo Mechanic axis, said the hardship and suffering has become unbearable, especially with just few days to the presidential election.

“What do they really want Nigerians to do in this circumstances. Things seems to be getting worst everyday with the government and the CBN appearing less as the days go by. How can you labour to earn money and sadly have to go through pains in other to access the money when the need arises.

Angry that he has been subjected to endless hours of waiting to undertake the CBN’s cash lodgement procedures, another customer, simply identifying himself as David, said, “We had been waiting here for hours without achieving anything. They said we should write names, we did but still nothing.

“The portal is malfunctioning. No one came out to give us form to fill. People came from as far as Suleja hoping to deposit cash and return home. This is double ‘wahala’. You stress to deposit old notes, you stress to get new notes.”