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Ope Banwo, Sola Salako shed light on #NoBankingDay protest

Today (Tuesday, March 1), customers across the country are expected to shun banking halls and other forms of banking activities (physically or virtually) as part of the #NoBankingDay protest against excessive bank charges.

To further sensitize the public on what the day is about, the campaigners, Ope Banwo and Sola Salako, in a joint statement made available to ENCOMIUM Weekly shed light on the campaign.

“The #NoBankingDay Protest is not a Dash; it is a Marathon. A letter of protest will be sent to the CBN governor after the town hall meeting on #NoBankingDay on our demands. We are also actively soliciting for the support and participation of more civil society organizations, labour groups, student unions, organized private sector and trade unions to join this protest as the issue of excessive bank charges affect everyone.

This action is thus the first in a series of Consumer Resistance Action planned to press home to the CBN and banking institutions that we are serious and dedicated to achieving our demands; top of which is for a review and curb of the excesses in the sector,” the statement reads.

On who can be a part of the protest, they added: “All consumers of banking services in Nigeria who believe they deserve better, especially those affected by multiple bank charges.”

The duo explained that adequate planning can forestall any disruption to individual plan since most people don’t go to the bank every day.

Their words, “Not if you plan adequately. Most consumers don’t go to the bank every day so, we can all make a deliberate decision to make March 1 stone of those “no banking days”. Consumers can do all transactions, on February 29 or postpone it to March 2, 2016.”

Dispelling the need for customers to stock cash at home while the protest lingers, they said: “Since it is just for 24 hours, there is no need to keep excess cash at home for security reasons.”

Concluding, they added, “We have absolute faith in the efficacy of Collective Consumer Power to influence policy, correct erring service providers and restore the balance of justice and equity in the marketplace. The change we all seek only happens when majority of consumers rise up to make their voices heard. This protest is the voice of the Nigerian consumer saying enough is enough! to excessive charges in the banking sector. We are optimistic that the necessary authorities will respond to the voice of their consumers.”

 

NIGERIANS REACT

‘I am in support of the protest’ – Jide Kenny

I am in support of the protest. The arbitrary charges we’ve been subjected to from our banks is unbecoming. They charge for everything – if you transfer money, they charge, if you check your account balance through your phone, they charge. At the end of the month, they’ll have taken more than N500 from your account for nothing!

Let them know that we’re not plucking money from trees.

 

‘I think it’s a good idea’ – David Jaiyeoba

Yes, I have heard of the No Banking Day protest. I saw it in newspapers last week.

I think it’s a good idea. But I don’t think protest is the best way to go about it. You cannot tell people not to go to the bank for a whole day, that’s not possible! People need cash. No, I don’t go to the bank every day, but there are many people that do.

It is something that affects all of us, so if they can find another way, it will be good.

 

‘I don’t think it will work’ – Mrs. Ogechi Obi

I don’t think it will work because people will have to go to the bank for one transaction or the other and if it is a payment that needs to be made immediately, who will wait till the next day, so I do not think it will work.

 

‘The idea will not work’ – Mrs. Ifeoma Alex

The idea will not work. For instance, business men like me that have to make sure people are working and it has to do with sending money to the workers, how will I do that, so there is no way they can shut down the bank for a day.

So, I do not think the no banking day will work.

 

‘I am not in support of the no banking day’ – Emmanuel Nnana

I am not in support of the no banking day declaration because I know it won’t work. I trust Nigerians, they will go to the banks on Tuesday, March 1, 2016, for various transactions. Not that what they’re agitating for is not good but majority of the people affected are not even aware of this protest.

I think there should be a better way of carrying it out to make it cut across. No one is happy being over charged by these banks, but I think there should be a better way of communicating all their excesses to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) so that they all can be properly addressed.

 

‘The cheating is too much’ – Obi Uzor

I support the declaration if it will be effective. The cheating is too much. How can we be paying all those charges? At a point, you won’t even understand what you’re paying for. It will be okay if people can truly shun banks on Tuesday, March 1, 2016 and let’s see if the message will make a meaning.

-TADE ASIFAT and MICHAEL NWOKIKE

Encomium

Written by Encomium

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