Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, says with the introduction of the redesigned Naira notes, no individual or organisation will be allowed to withdraw huge cash without being interrogated by relevant anti-corruption agencies.
Emefiele said this when he fielded questions from State House correspondents on Wednesday in Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier on Wednesday inaugurated the new Naira banknotes of N200, N500 and N1000, expressing delight that the redesigned currencies were produced locally by the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting (NSPM) PLC.
However, the CBN governor said that with the redesign of the Naira notes, the CBN would ensure full implementation of the cashless economic system across the country.
“We will insist that cashless would be nationwide. We will restrict the volume of cash that people can withdraw over the counter.
“If you need to withdraw a large volume of cash, you will fill uncountable forms. We will take your data, whether it is your BVN or your NIN so that enforcement agencies like EFCC or ICPC can follow you and be sure that you are taking that money for a good purpose.
“We have to work as a country. Nigeria is the biggest country in both population and economy in Africa and we have to ensure that we do things the right way.
“That also positions us as a leader in Africa and one of the leading countries in the world.
“We must do things right and I think it will start today.”
According to him, many countries, especially the advanced ones have gone far in the cashless system and Nigeria must not be left behind.
“In other countries, say in the US, you will find that if you want to withdraw $10,000 from the counter, you will be interrogated, you will fill numerous forms, they will even track the use of that $10,000 cash that you are withdrawing.
“Or you want to withdraw £10,000 from the counter, they will refuse and if you insist, then you will fill out forms.
“The problem we have had in the past is that we say this is a cash economy; there is no economy that is inbuilt thinking that it has to be a cash economy.
“The world has moved away from predominantly cash to cashless economy and I think Nigeria and the Central Bank of Nigeria are prepared, at this time, to move towards a cashless economy.”
Emefiele also dismissed the assertion that the redesigning of the Naira notes was targeted at some individuals, including politicians.
“There is no need for anybody to think that this programme is targeted at anyone.
“Like you heard the President in the Chambers; he said that this discussion to redesign and reissue this currency started earlier in the year.
“We took painstaking efforts in looking at the pros and cons and the reasons when and why it should be done and the President, in his wisdom, decided that yes, it must be done,” Emefiele said.
