BY SAM NWOKORO l Friday, August 31, 2018
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has tasked Nigerians to strive to attain more knowledge about modern banking systems.In this regard, it has urged the banking public to always perfect their use of modern banking services tools such mobile banking, POS,ATM.and money transfer methods. The apex bank says this is necessary to stem the spate of complaints from bank customers, most of which are caused by their ignorance and seamless use of modern banking services tools.
The apex bank also explained that enough safety precautions on use of banking apps will safeguard users from loses and fraud caused by unscrupulous elements in the society.
Mr Femi Fadairo, Head of Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS)gave these tips at the third edition of Bank Customers Association of Nigeria (BCAN)summit which held in Lagos last weekend.
While speaking on the topic: “Electronic Banking: Customers rights and obligations”, Fadairo said: “e-banking last year grossed over N26 billion while over 1.3 billion transactions passed through e-banking. POS also is easily susceptible to be used by fraudsters. A fraudster cold pretend he wants to test the pin whereas his intention is to know the pin number and could use it for dubious crimes.On mobile banking, doing money transfer with another person’s phone is becoming commonplace”, reminding customers: “always lock your phone when not in use and when you lost your phone,your firt port of call need not be the police station, but your bank, asking them to blocjk your account. The digital crypto is also becoming susceptible to criminal usage”
Speakng on: “Overview of Bank-Customer relationship”,Professor Segun Ajibola, Dean School of Post Graduate studies, Caleb University, Imota Lagos told bankl customers that they deserve the right of first choice in accessing loan in their banks if they have account before non-account holders get loans, asking them to always insist on this. Mrs Yvonne Isichei, former Executive Director, Keystone bank and council member of Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) said that the CIBN could be approached ones any financial service from any bank is not satisfactory to a customer, reminding them that CIBN and CBN has an understanding to this effect as part of measures to protect bank customers.
In his own lecture, Mr T Y Ahmed,Customer Protection Department of the CBN said that the apex bank has a functional customer protection unit dealing with customer complaints. Some of the tips he let customers know are : “bank loans are not a largesse or national cake anyone can access without due process. For instance, you must first of all ascertain what it would cost you if you rebound on a loan deal within the stipulated seven days after such deal is sealed or if you default in servicing loan obligations, before you sign into any type of loan”
He also said: “it is your duty as a customer to know if any loan is insurable or insured before accessing it.Ask for the grace period before repayment starts to enable you know whether you are liable to any penalty, charges or not if you fail to start servicing it on stated time of repayment.”
He said the CBN-CPC is set up against the understanding that the bank is superior in financial numeracy than its customer so the CBN-CPC is to plug such gap. Some of the units in the department he said include the “spot check”, meant to preempt banks abuse of its obligations to customers, customer education, meant to enlighten customers on their rights and obligations and the complaint management division wherein it has made it mandatory for banks to have at management levels complaints managers to protect customer’s interests.
Mr Jacobs Nwachukwu BCAN publicity Secretary who has also written many books on bank-customers relationship enjoined members to always avail themselves of regular tips from their banks and to always attend the forums summits for their own good.
