Nigerians in London, United Kingdom, have expressed frustration over the compulsory payment of £30 (about N10, 000) for the registration of the Bank Verification Number, as directed by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Apparently sad over their plight, some of them during the week stormed the
Nigeria High Commission in London to protest against the directive of the apex
bank. Others took to the social media to vent their anger.
The CBN had recently extended the deadline for the BVN registration from June
30 to October 31, 2015 as disclosed in a circular issued to all deposit money
banks operating in the country.
Apparently sad over their plight, some of them during the week stormed the
Nigeria High Commission in London to protest against the directive of the apex
bank. Others took to the social media to vent their anger.
The CBN had recently extended the deadline for the BVN registration from June
30 to October 31, 2015 as disclosed in a circular issued to all deposit money
banks operating in the country.
The Director, Banking and Payment Systems Department of the CBN, Mr. Dipo
Fatokun, said the extension became imperative in order to give bank customers
more time to participate in the enrolment exercise.
The circular had read in part, “It has come to our notice that the BVN
registration has elicited tremendous interest from the Nigerian banks’ customers
who crowded the banking halls in order to beat the deadline.
“Furthermore, there is the need to give Nigerian banks’ customers in the
Diaspora ample time to enrol on the programme. The guideline for their
enrolment is being finalised and will be released soon.”
Though the BVN registration in Nigeria is free, Nigerians living in London have
had to part with N10, 000 to enrol on the exercise.
The directive was said to have been issued by the apex bank, as confirmed by
the UK chapter of the All Progressives Congress and Zenith Bank.
The APC, UK chapter, had asked the bank on Twitter about the authenticity of
the directive and the bank replied, saying, “The letter is genuine. The fee is as
communicated by CBN and the enrolment company was contracted by the CBN.
We trust this helps.”
Meanwhile, a user of a popular blogging platform, Nairaland , by the name
klem93, said he was shocked to have seen photos of Nigerians thronging the
Nigeria High Commission in London in frustration.
He wrote, “I thought it is going to be smooth sailing as I read that BVN for
Nigerians in London had begun. I didn’t know it is going to be the same way as
it went in Nigeria. A reader of my blog who lives in London wrote me an email:
‘The Nigeria High Commission in London needs an urgent overhaul. This
afternoon, we Nigerians were treated like animals in Fleet Street, London, all
because we wanted to do BVN for those of us who have accounts in Nigeria.
“Things soon became chaotic and someone called police on us. They allowed us
to converge on the street and then locked us out. We were also being forced to
pay £30.00 each, but none of the officials or the website could explain what the
money was meant for. Is it not free in Nigeria?”
source:Punch
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