CBN Takes Financial Enlightenment Campaign to B ayelsa
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has begun an enlightenment campaign for consumers and potential customers of banks and banking services in Bayelsa State.
The central bank said the move was with a view to enhancing financial inclusion and literacy as well as building customer/bank relations in the state. During the two-day event which held in Yenagoa, a team from the CBN spoke to the participants, including traditional chiefs, military personnel, government representatives and market women on the need to key into the recent innovations by the bank.
The event which was spearheaded by the Director, Corporate Communication, Isaac Okorafor, who was represented by Sam Okagbue, witnessed presentations on financial inclusion, consumer protection, emerging payment system, among others.
Okoroafor, noted that the changing financial ecosystem in the country had made it inevitable for the apex bank to embark on the campaign to encourage Nigerians to know more about how the banking system works.
He added that it was also to intimate Nigerians of their rights and duties as customers to the various banks in the country.
Describing the customer as the most important person in the economy, the CBN official listed the rights of the customer as right to be informed, the right to choose, right to safety and the right to privacy and confidentiality as obligations owed by banks to the customer.
He added that customers’ rights include the right to redress, right to good service, right to equality and right to free monthly statement of account.
“The right to safety requires a bank to guarantee all its customers a secure and conducive banking environment devoid of threats to their safety and health,” he said.
According to him, the bank customer is also protected from the disclosure of their account details by their banks as well as intrusion into their accounts by a third party.
He added that except in cases where the banks are expected by law to make such disclosures and where a customer consents to such disclosures, the bank must protect their information against unauthorised access.
The apex bank noted that while it was free for a bank to send a monthly statement of account to the customer, any special request outside that attracts a fee.
He explained that as a duty, the customer also has a responsibility to search for relevant knowledge so as to make informed decisions.
According to him, customers must also protect their information from third parties, repay credit facilities, provide factual information and report suspected fraud or error.