Matawalle warns banks against hoarding new Naira notes

Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara has cautioned deposit money banks in the state against hoarding of new Naira notes.

Matawalle spoke on Monday when he paid an unscheduled visit to the Gusau branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and five other deposit money banks to assess the level of hardship being faced by citizens in accessing the new naira notes.

A statement issued in Gusau on Tuesday by the Press Secretary to the Governor, Jamilu Birnin-Magaji said the governor was irked by the long queues at ATMs amid acute scarcity and hopelessness in the state.

Birnin-Magaji listed the banks visited by the governor to include: CBN Gusau branch headquarters, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Jaiz, Eco and First Banks.

Birnin-magaji said: “Matawalle during the visit warned the managements of the banks to desist from the bad practice of hoarding the new Naira notes.

”He also directed bank officials to dispense the new Naira notes via the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and at the banking halls.”

Birnin-Magaji further quoted Matawalle as warning that his administration will not hesitate to revoke the land ownership of any deposit money bank not willing to ease the sufferings of the people.

“Earlier, at CBN, the governor urged the Branch Controller of CBN to ensure THE availability of new Naira notes at the commercial banks for people to access their money to conduct their daily activities with relative ease.

“Matawalle invited the Controller of CBN, Gusau branch to accompany him to some branches of the banks in the state capital to assess the obnoxious situation.

“During the visit, Matawalle expressed concern over the long queues of people at the ATMs in the bank branches and called on the managers to find means of easing the hardship being faced by the customers,”Birnin-Magaji urged..