BVN: Customers in Awka flood banks, seek extension of deadline

Commercial banks in Awka are having problems contending with the surge of customers who wish to obtain their Bank Verification Numbers (BVN)which would elapse on June 30.

The customers who became serious about the BVN since the deadline was set expressed frustrations with the exercise as the branches of the banks they went to could not attend to them.

The central bank of Nigeria (CBN) had some months ago directed all commercial banks to carry out biometric and data capturing of their customers for them to have up to date information about them.

Some of the bank customers who spoke to reporters on Tuesday appealed to the CBN to consider extending the deadline.

Mr Jude Nwokike, a customer with one of the new generation banks, said he had consistently been going to the bank since two weeks without success.

Nwokike said this was because only one branch of a particular bank was serving a high population density area as Awka.

He called for decentralisation of the registration centres so that it would be seamless, while calling on CBN to extend the deadline.

Also, Mr Azubuike Okoro, a financial consultant, said the delay to undergo the BVN exercise by customers was unfortunate and typical of every Nigerian.

Okoro, a former branch controller of CBN, Awka, said the June 30 deadline should not be postponed by the Bankers Committee as people would likely relax again if there was an extension.

He said that anybody who did not get his BVN by the deadline should not be allowed to transact business in any bank until such a customer produced it.