Residents in Zamfara state have decried shortage of new Naira notes and and twenty thousand Naira maximum withdrawal limit from ATM machines.
In a vox pop interview with customers on queue at various Banks in Gusau and Kaura Namoda, the residents expressed dismay over the hardship they were in due to lack of cash both old and new, even as the ATMs dispenses new note of N1000 only amidst unprecedented queue.
Mr Nura Lawal who spoke to Radio Nigeria while on ATM queue lamented that, the issue have disrupted their activities, saying students, businessmen and other workers were forced to abscond due to the hours they spent on queue to get the daily withdrawal limit of N20,000 from ATM machines as many people do pass night at the ATMs to withdraw money while others travel to Gusau the state capital from other local government areas where no single Bank is operating.
Sulaiman Birnin-Tsaba, a bank customer who went to Gusau from Zurmi Local Government to withdraw money decried on the scarcity of both new and old notes in addition to the withdrawal limit of other banks of N5000 that forced customers to make four withdrawals to get N20,000 with N35 bank charges per transaction.
Radio Nigeria observed that, some of the customers join queue with multiple ATM cards to either enable more cash withdrawal or assist others in getting the cash.
However, the issue have affected so many sectors of human endeavor as fuel pump price has raised to N380/litres with only one filling station selling at official price of N184/litres which attracted buyers, hence crowded.
Malam Shehu Sule frowned about the situation saying the additional 10 days will only add more trouble to the situation.
Abdulrazak Kaura
