CBN Raids Ekiti Bank, Uncovers N6m Hidden New Notes
Clearly proving President Muhammadu Buhari right that some banks’ staff are complicit in making the redesigned Naira notes scarce in the country, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is not slowing down on busting erring banks currently hoarding the Nigerian currency.
The latest discovery happened at a new generation bank in Ekiti State on Sunday where the apex bank stormed the branch along Bank Road in Ado-Ekiti and caught officials hoarding about N6 million of new Naira notes meant to service the cash needs of hard-pressed customers.
According to reports, CBN’s Deputy Director, Oluwole Owoeye, who uncovered the hoarded redesigned currencies while leading a team of officials on a monitoring exercise in the state, accused the bank of deliberately stockpiling the new banknotes it collected from the CBN for almost two weeks.
The Deputy Director said there was no excuse for keeping the money, accusing Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) of sabotaging the CBN’s efforts in making the new notes available for Nigerians.
Reports quoted Owoeye as saying; “I’m currently at the Bank, Ado-Ekiti as part of this monitoring compliance with the guidelines by CBN. They have six million which they have collected from the bank for almost two weeks. They have not dispensed any. They said they are yet to configure their ATM.
“I don’t know why. I have brought their attention to the penalty clause of one million per day. They have five ATMs. They don’t have any reason for keeping this money.
“The zonal service manager, Mr Tunde Onipede promised that by 10 am latest tomorrow (Monday), because I told him by latest 10:00 am I’ll be here and I want to see the machine dispensing this money.
“What is the name again? Olumide Owolabi (Service Manager, Ado) & Motunrayo Babayele. My name is Oluwole Owoeye and I am a Deputy Director of CBN”. – Additional reports from Vanguard newspaper
