Naira scarcity: Reps order CBN, banks to overhaul online, transfer platforms

The House of Representatives has asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to direct commercial banks in the country to urgently overhaul their online banking platforms.

The House of Reps said this would ease the electronic banking operations the banks were implementing in line with the naira redesign policy of the CBN and reduce the pains of Nigerians.

The House passed the resolution at its plenary presided over by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, in Abuja on Thursday.

The resolution came off a motion on notice moved by a lawmaker from Edo State, Sergius Ose-Ogun.

The House Committee on Banking and Currency was mandated to monitor and ensure compliance with the resolution within four weeks.

The motion partly read: “The House notes that Section 88 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) empowers the National Assembly to conduct investigations into the activities of any authority executing or administering laws made by the National Assembly (like the Central Bank of Nigeria);

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“Aware that the Central Bank of Nigeria is established under Section 1 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, Cap. C4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to issue legal tender currencies in Nigeria;

“Also aware that Section 2 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act saddles the Central Bank of Nigeria with the duty of promoting a sound financial system in Nigeria;

“Acknowledges that in the wake of the recent naira redesign and cash withdrawal limit policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, there has been an increase in the use of online and electronic banking services to carry out monetary transactions across the country;

“Also acknowledges that the use of online or internet banking services by Nigerians in the past three months or thereabout has been characterized by varying degrees of hitches ranging from unsuccessful electronic bank transfers, point of sale (POS) service failure and a host of others;

“Disturbed that the ineffectiveness or difficulty in using internet banking services across the online banking platforms of most Commercial Banks in Nigeria has brought untold hardship, suffering and difficulties on Nigerians in the past three months;

“Worried that if nothing is done by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Commercial Banks to address these difficulties or ineffectiveness, Nigerians will continue to suffer untold hardships and loss of monies to unsuccessful electronic bank transactions.

“Resolves to urge the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to direct all commercial banks in the country to immediately overhaul their existing online/electronic banking platforms for efficiency and ease of conducting electronic banking operations.”

The Star