Currency traffickers and high net worth customers are mopping up the new notes from the banks even as the new notes are being rationed to the majority of customers.
In spite of the official position of the banks that the new notes were not available in huge volumes, some categories of influential customers were being given new notes far above the limits set by the lender.
According to Punch correspondents, who visited a branch of a new generation bank in the Abule Egba area of Lagos State on Friday, was told that the new notes were no longer available as what was allocated to the branch had been exhausted before 10am.
A senior official of the bank, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the bank received about one million five hundred thousand naira in one thousand naira notes on Wednesday.
We noticed that some high net worth customers requested far above the limit we set per customer, which was ten ten thousand naira.
We can’t ignore their requests if they are between one hundred thousand naira and two hundred thousand naira.
A branch manager of a tier-1 bank on Lagos Island told Saturday PUNCH that the head office told them not to give more than five hundred thousand naira per customer.
It is against the rule of the CBN to keep cash in our vaults.
Some high net worth customers have been calling to ask for more money.
According to Punch correspondents, who tried to make a withdrawal from an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) at the Ojodu Berger area of Lagos on Friday, observed that the five paying points dispensed old naira notes and when he went inside the banking hall and insisted on having the new notes across the counter.
The teller told him that the currency traffickers were going to use the bank tellers and their managers to mop up the new currency.
We tellers don’t want to go against our bosses as our continued stay on the job depends on them.
Modinat Azeez told Punch correspondents that since there were many social engagements planned for the weekend, it would make sense to go to the venues with the new notes.
Even though the existing naira notes and the new ones have the same values, many partygoers will like to make a statement by spraying the new notes at parties.
