PCC faults circulation of new naira notes in Ekiti

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Following outrage trailing the alleged poor implementation of the naira redesigned policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), has expressed displeasure over the lopsided distribution of the new notes in Ekiti State.

The PCC Federal Commissioner representing Ekiti State, Kayode Bamisile, said the distribution was lopsided and not fully implemented in Ekiti going by the barrage of complaints that had been received and verified by the commission.

Bamisile also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for intensifying efforts to ensure intending voters collect their PVCs ahead of forthcoming general elections.

The PCC boss spoke, on Thursday, in Ado Ekiti, the state capital while addressing journalists on the activities of the commission.

Bamisile added that the commission has been monitoring the process closely in the state, since the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele gave a directive for the distribution of the redesigned N200, N500 and N1000 notes.

Bamisile said, “Our team led by the Director of the investigation, went to all banks in Ado Ekiti and other local government areas, where we have our offices, to ensure that bank customers have access to the new naira notes and the CBN’s directive adhered to. We also met with the state CBN branch manager.

“There were challenges, most of the banks visited were giving out both new and old naira notes to their customers, but the complaint is that Automated Teller Machines (ATM) mostly dispense old notes, even same is the situation in the banking hall.

“I don’t think the directive is being implemented fully here in Ekiti state. In certain cases, some of the ATMs are not working.

“Even complaints from the banks is that they don’t have sufficient new naira notes to give out to customers. Part of our responsibility in PCC is to ensure that no citizen is deprived of his or her right. We will continue to monitor the situation in the state till January 31 to ensure the people have access to the new naira note.”

The commissioner, who noted that the people in the local areas and hinterlands of the state are seriously being affected, urged CBN to intensify sensitisation on the new naira notes and the withdrawal of the old notes, especially at the grassroots before the deadline.

“I know of two local government areas where there is no bank. They have to travel to another council area to do all their bank transactions. We have farmers and members of cooperative societies here. Sensitisation is necessary here so that we will not have a situation whereby an uninformed person will be left with loads of the old naira notes after the expiration of the deadline on January 31,” he said.

On the insinuations that some people are hoarding the new naira notes, he said, “It is possible but we never had such complaints or reports. But it behoves CBN and important for them to keep monitoring the movement of the naira notes and ensure that they are not being kept in the vaults for such reasons as the deadline date draws closer.”

On the PVCs collection, the PCC boss said major complaints were the missing names on the list, the inability to retrieve cards and their names listed in another ward’s voters register.

He, however, said that the electoral body is doing its best to address the situation, adding, ” the feedback we got was that INEC is working hard to ensure that everybody gets its PVC.”

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