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Bank Directors Support CBN’s Action On First Bank

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Emefiele Sick, Can't Meet With Reps - CBN

The action of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to restore stability to the First Bank PLC has received support from the nation’s bank directors.

Last week, the CBN reversed the move by First Bank directors to change the management without the approval of the regulator.

The directors, under the aegies of Banks Directors Association of Nigeria (BDAN), advised the directors of First Bank to comply fully with the directives by the CBN.

The Chairman of BDAN Mrs. Osaretin Demuren gave the position of the association yesterday.

Mrs. Demuren, who is the chairman of the board of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), spoke on the sidelines of BDAN’s 24th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos.

She said: “The position of the association is that CBN is the regulator, and has the spread sheet of First Bank. So, if CBN took a decision, we just have to encourage the bank to rectify whatever it was so that we have a better working environment. They should listen to the CBN. We cannot challenge the CBN because it is the regulator.”

She urged bank directors to enhance their corporate governance practices by ensuring stability and accountability in the banking sector.

The BDAN president noted that it was important to also ensure the emergence and appointment of directors in banks that were properly vetted, with such roles filled by only qualified candidates.

READ ALSO: Nigeria Needs 100, 000MW Of Electricity Daily For Virile Economy – Elumelu

She said: “Corporate governance should be entrenched in bank directors. Even when recruiting directors, you have to find out on what basis since everyone is not corporate governance- compliant.”

On bank ownership in the country, she said: “We have gone beyond banking where banks should be owned by individuals. Once that is out of the way, then corporate governance can be entrenched. When you have an individual, whether directly or indirectly behind a bank, then it is left to the regulator to call that person to order.”

The BDAN president’s tenure was extended by 90 days pending election of a new president.

She said: ”I took over as the President of BDAN in October 2018, at the 21st Annual General Meeting, and since assuming office, I can confidently say that with the support of my colleagues, we have been able to deliver on the mandate of the association by increasing members’ participation. We have increased revenue as evident in our financial statements in addition to improving the quality of our programmes.”

READ ALSO: Senate Begins Meeting With Security Chiefs

“There is still more to be done notwithstanding especially with regards to advocacy with the regulators. I am sure whoever takes over as the president will further deliver on our aspirations. I am therefore informing this meeting that this is the last meeting in which I will be acting in the capacity of the president because my tenure as Chairman of Guaranty Trust Bank has come to an end and we are in a transition period.

“In view of this, we will also have a transition period where I will be speaking with my colleagues chairmen of banks on who will be my successor. I hereby crave your indulgence as we go through the transition period and assure you that members will be carried along throughout the process,” she added.

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NLC Directs Officials To Monitor Banks Over Cash Scarcity

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BREAKING: Old Naira Notes Deadline Stays - Emefiele
CBN Governor Emefiele

 

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed its officials across the country to go round and monitor cash dispensing situations at the commercial banks.

This is coming ahead of today’s National Executive Council, NEC meeting, leaders of orfficials of state councils of NLC and industrial union affiliates are to take pictorial evidence of the actual situations at the banks, “whether the banks are dispensing cash or not, and report same to the NLC headquarters.”

The monitoring which ends by 12.30 pm will enable the NEC meeting that will commence by 1:00 p.m.at the Labour House, Abuja, takes a final decision on tomorrow’s planned nationwide strike over the cash crunch in the country.

The National leadership of NLC gave the directive yesterday (Monday, March 27).

An official of NLC who spokelsaid, “Yes, the directive was given yesterday. Union leaders are to go around their areas to monitor commercial banks this Morning before 12.30pm and show pictorial evidence of the situation at the banks.

“Whether they are dispensing cash or not. The pictorial evidencesl are to be forwarded to Congress headquarters to be us assess the activities of Commercial banks before the NEC meeting by 1pm to enable us take a final decision on tomorrow’s planned industrial action.”

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BREAKING: Old N200, N500, N1,000 Notes Remain Legal Tender Till Dec 31 – CBN

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In compliance with a ruling of the Supreme Court, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has declared that old N200, N500, N1,000 banknotes remain legal tender till December 31, 2023.

The apex bank’s Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Isa AbdulMumin spoke in a statement on Monday. This is coming 10 days after the Supreme Court ruled that old naira notes should co-exist with new ones till the end of the year.

“In compliance with the established tradition of obedience to court orders and sustenance of the Rule of Law Principle that characterized the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, and by extension, the operations of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), as a regulator, Deposit Money Banks operating in Nigeria have been directed to comply with the Supreme Court ruling of March 3, 2023.

“Accordingly, the CBN met with the Bankers’ Committee and has directed that the old N200, N500 and N1000 banknotes remain legal tender alongside the redesigned banknotes till December 31, 2023.

“Consequently, all concerned are directed to conform accordingly,” the statement read.

The highest court of the land had on March 3 ordered that old N200, N500 and N1000 notes remain valid till December 31, 2023.

This was after 16 states of the federation instituted a suit to challenge the legality or otherwise of the introduction of the policy.

The 16 states led by Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara had prayed the apex court to void and set aside the policy on the ground that it is inflicting hardships on innocent Nigerians.

The Supreme Court subsequently ruled that President Muhammadu Buhari’s disobedience of its February 8 order is a sign of dictatorship, adding that the President breached the Constitution of the Federation in the way he issued directives for the re-designing of the Naira by the CBN.

After the March 3 judgement by the Supreme Court, the Presidency, CBN and the AGF kept mum, throwing many bank customers and Nigerians into confusion as the ruling of the apex court contradicted the directive of the President on February 16 that old N500 and N1000 notes are banned and old N200 notes remain valid till April 10.

However, the Presidency broke its silence on Monday, saying the President never told the CBN and the AGF not to obey the order of the apex court.

“The CBN has no reason not to comply with court orders on the excuse of waiting for directives from the President,” the Presidency noted.

According to the Presidency, the President is an absolute respecter of the rule of law and that the “negative campaign and personalised attacks against the President by the opposition and all manner of commentators is unfair and unjust.”

The CBN had extended the deadline for the swap of old N200, N500, and N1,000 from January 31 to February 10 following complaints by many Nigerians but the Supreme Court, after a suit filed by the states, held that the Federal Government, the CBN, commercial banks must not continue with the February 10 deadline pending the determination of a notice in respect of the issue.

However, the President, in a national broadcast on February 16, directed the apex bank to release old N200 notes into circulation to co-exist with new N200, N500 and N1,000 banknotes for 60 days — by April 10, 2023. He also said old N500 and N1,000 banknotes cease to be legal tender in Nigeria.

There has been a flurry of reactions and stark criticisms against the President’s directive including from governors of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Umar Ganduje (Kano); Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo; and many stalwarts of the ruling APC have openly censured and faulted the President’s directive, arguing that it has no grounds because the case is before the apex court.

Leading Senior Advocates of Nigeria like Femi Falana and Mike Ozekhome have equally faulted the President’s move, saying he cannot overrule the apex court of the land.

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CBN Asked Banks To Receive Old Naira Notes – Soludo

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BREAKING: How Nigerians Keeping N2.7 Trillion At Home, Others Caused Naira Redesign - Emefiele
CBN Governor Emefiele

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has asked commercial banks to dispense and accept old naira notes as deposits, according to Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo.

Soludo, a former CBN governor, made this known in a statement he posted on his social media handles.
He explained that the Governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele gave the directive at a Banker’s Committee meeting on Sunday.

He added that Emefiele personally confirmed the directive to him.
According to him, residents should report banks refusing to accept the old notes.

“Commercial banks have been directed by the Central Bank to dispense old currency notes and also to receive the same deposits from customers. Tellers at 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) and the new notes”, the statement added.

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