The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has finally directed commercial banks to dispense old currency notes and to also receive same as deposits from customers, according to Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo of Anambra State.
Soludo, who is a former CBN Governor, said tellers at the commercial banks are to generate the codes for deposits and there is no limit to the number of times an individual or company can make deposits.
Soludo said the CBN Governor gave the directive at a Bankers’ Committee meeting held on Sunday, 12th March, 2023.
He therefore threatened that the “Anambra State Government will not only report such a bank to the CBN, but will also immediately shut down the defaulting branch.”
Soludo’s full statement reads: “Commercial banks have been directed by the Central Bank to dispense old currency notes and to also receive same as deposits from customers. Tellers at the commercial banks are to generate the codes for deposits and there is no limit to the number of times an individual or company can make deposits.
“The Governor of the CBN gave the directive at a Bankers’ Committee meeting held on Sunday, 12th March, 2023. The Governor, Dr Godwin Emefiele, personally confirmed the above to me during a phone conversation on Sunday night. Residents of Anambra are therefore advised to freely accept and transact their businesses with the old currency notes (N200; N500; and N1,000) as well as the new notes.
“Residents should report any bank that refuses to accept deposits of the old notes. Anambra State Government will not only report such a bank to the CBN, but will also immediately shut down the defaulting branch.”
Efforts to get the reaction of CBN to Soludo’s claim proved abortive as the spokesman, Isa Abdulmumin, could not be reached.
Sources at the Apex bank told our reporter that there have been several virtual meetings between Emefiele and the bank chiefs leading up to Sunday evening and there are strong indications that the news is true.
The CBN has at the time of this story has not debunked the claim of Governor Soludo.