Bank customers hail extension of BVN deadline

Bank customers who turned out in their thousands on Tuesday in Awka for last-minute registration for Bank Verification Number (BVN) have hailed the decision to extend the exercise.
The customers who had thronged various branches of banks in the state capital expressed their happiness with the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to extend the deadline to Oct. 31.
The News Agency of Nigeria correspondents who roamed the city to monitor the exercise report that jubilation rented the air around the clustered banks as news of the extension filtered in.

The manager of a new generation bank who preferred anonymity broke the news to the customers who were outside the banks filling the forms for the registration.
Shortly after the announcement, the manager told NAN: ``Although we are not permitted to speak to the press, I can authoritatively tell all and sundry that we received an email from the CBN that BVN has been extended.’
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Emeka Unegbu, a civil servant, said he was relieved with the news and promised not to be caught in that kind of last-minute rush again.

``I thank the CBN for its magnanimity in extending the date, and henceforth when such a matter arises, I will be among the first to get mine done,” he said.
Njideka Ofor, a nurse, also praised the CBN for extending the deadline, saying that she was not sure of what would have befallen her if she could not be captured.

“I will first thank the CBN for this second chance given to us.
``I have a reasonable amount in the account and I do not know what would have happened to the money if I did not do registration,’’ she said.

Chief John Ilonze on his part, called on the CBN to place advertorial on televisions and radio for public enlightenment on the exercise and the extension.

``The CBN should place advertorials on the media both the print and electronic to sensitise the masses of this present situation and the expiration date,” he said. (NAN)