Anxiety as Nigerians in UK pay N10, 000 for BVN

Nigerians in London, United Kingdom, have expressed frustration over
the compulsory payment of £30 (about N10, 000) for the registration of
the Bank Verification Number, as directed by the Central Bank of
Nigeria.
Apparently sad over their plight, some of them during the week stormed
the Nigeria High Commission in London to protest against the directive
of the apex bank. Others took to the social media to vent their anger.
The CBN had recently extended the deadline for the BVN registration
from June 30 to October 31, 2015 as disclosed in a circular issued to
all deposit money banks operating in the country.
The Director, Banking and Payment Systems Department of the CBN, Mr.
Dipo Fatokun, said the extension became imperative in order to give
bank customers more time to participate in the enrolment exercise.
The circular had read in part, "It has come to our notice that the BVN
registration has elicited tremendous interest from the Nigerian banks'
customers who crowded the banking halls in order to beat the deadline.
"Furthermore, there is the need to give Nigerian banks' customers in
the Diaspora ample time to enrol on the programme. The guideline for
their enrolment is being finalised and will be released soon."
Though the BVN registration in Nigeria is free, Nigerians living in
London have had to part with N10, 000 to enrol on the exercise.
The directive was said to have been issued by the apex bank, as
confirmed by the UK chapter of the All Progressives Congress and
Zenith Bank.
Firstclass newsline gathered that the APC, UK chapter, had asked the
bank on Twitter about the authenticity of the directive and the bank
replied, saying, "The letter is genuine. The fee is as communicated by
CBN and the enrolment company was contracted by the CBN. We trust this
helps."
Meanwhile, a user of a popular blogging platform,Nairaland, by the
name klem93, said he was shocked to have seen photos of Nigerians
thronging the Nigeria High Commission in London in frustration.
He wrote, "I thought it is going to be smooth sailing as I read that
BVN for Nigerians in London had begun. I didn't know it is going to be
the same way as it went in Nigeria. A reader of my blog who lives in
London wrote me an email: 'The Nigeria High Commission in London needs
an urgent overhaul. This afternoon, we Nigerians were treated like
animals in Fleet Street, London, all because we wanted to do BVN for
those of us who have accounts in Nigeria.
"Things soon became chaotic and someone called police on us. They
allowed us to converge on the street and then locked us out. We were
also being forced to pay £30.00 each, but none of the officials or the
website could explain what the money was meant for. Is it not free in
Nigeria?"
Eleojoe23, another user of the platform, protested, "£30? What for?
They truly deserve an explanation. Maybe the high commission thinks
that since they live in London, they should have enough money to
spare. Do they think people just go out and pick money on the streets
in London?"
Another user of the platform, Julioralph, said, "30 pounds for what?
Members of staff at the high commission should be changed. Even the
CBN is at fault as well; they don't have proper plans for those abroad
concerning this BVN stuff."
Attempts to get the comment of the ministry's spokesperson, Ogbole
Ahmedu-Ode, were not successful as he could not be reached on the
phone. He also did not respond to a text message that was sent to him.
But investigations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs showed that the
ministry was not involved in the BVN registration held in the UK.
A highly placed official in the ministry explained that the Nigeria
High Commission in UK was not involved in the BVN registration,
stressing that it was handled by a private firm which has no
relationship with the embassy.
The source said that the high commission officials saw the posters
advertising the BVN registration in London like other members of the
public, noting that the "BVN registration was the private affair of a
private company."
"Neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the Nigeria High
Commission in the UK was involved in the BVN registration; the
programme was handled by a private company which has no relationship
with the ministry or the high commission," the official said on
Friday.
Also, the Director, Corporate Communications Department, CBN, Mr.
Mu'azu Ibrahim, could not be reached for comments as repeated calls
made to his mobile phone did not connect.
Firstclassnewsline.net