The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it will convene a meeting this week to review the cash situation in the country following the expiration of its two-week ultimatum for the fluidity of currency transactions.
On March 29, the union threatened to shut down 36 branches of the Central Bank of Nigeria due to the crunch. A two-week grace expired on Tuesday.
The NLC chairman in Kano, Comrade Kabiru Inuwa, lamented the current failed transactions and poor network experienced by bank customers.
He, however, told Nigeria Info on Wednesday that the issue will be discussed at the meeting.
“Most of the recent observations are generally failed transactions and not cash crunch,” Comrade Inuwa said.
“So, I am sure it is going to be a subject of discussion when we meet because we are receiving similar reports from different states.
“We were supposed to meet today (Wednesday) but we did not. I am sure we are going to meet this week.”
Earlier, Nigeria Info monitored the situation across banks in the Kano metropolis and observed that the long queues have moved from ATM points into banking halls where many customers complained of delayed transactions and poor network.
Customers struggling to get into a bank in Kano/ⓒCaleb Jacob
A First Bank customer on Bank Road said: “I transferred N4,170,000 to Zenith Bank since Tuesday. I have already received my alert but my customer at Zenith Bank has not received the alert up till today.”
At Sharada, a Union Bank customer lamented that the bank staff inside were “not working presently.”
“People are here to get cash and other transactions but because of the network, people are stranded,” he complained.
Supporting himself on his rickety bike, an elderly man at the same Union Bank said he came to complain about a challenge with using his debit card but was told to come back the following day (Thursday) due to network glitches.
From Doguwa Local Government to Guarantee Trust Bank at Murtala Mohammed Way, Audu decried the banking situation saying.
“Since morning, I’ve been here to do my BVN. You can see the queue; I don’t know when I’ll leave this place,” he lamented.