Naira swap: Depositors funds safe,  NDIC ressures Nigerians

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation has assured Nigerians that depositors’ funds are safe, saying that the current Central Bank of Nigeria currency swap has nothing to do with people’s monies in banks.

The Managing Director of NDIC, Malam Bello Hassan, gave the assurance during the NDIC Special Day at the 44th Kaduna International Trade Fair which was held in the state capital on Thursday.According to Hassan, depositors need not panic over the new CBN monetary policy as regards to the safety of their funds in any commercial bank in the country.

“Depositors need not worry. Their money is safe,” he said, adding that “depositors’ monies are 100 per cent safe.”

“I assure you that within a few days, things will return to normalcy but there’s a monitoring committee now on it. So, let’s appreciate the fact that policy comes with challenges,” he added.

The NDIC boss also disclosed that the corporation has won the court case against the shareholders of the defunct Fortune Bank International.

He added that depositors of the bank could file their claims for the purpose of reimbursement of their trapped deposits in the bank.

Hassan, represented by the Manager, Communications and Public Unit of the Corporation, Tanko Yahaya, also called on the depositors and creditors of 20 closed microfinance, primary mortgage, and deposit money banks, to come for verification and payment of the excess of their guaranteed sums.He added that the deposit money banks, primary mortgage banks, the payment service banks, and mobile money operators were all insured up to N500,000 per depositor per bank, while those of microfinance banks were insured up to N200,000 per depositor per bank.

Hassan said, “Recently, the Corporation repeated its call to depositors of 20 closed banks on which it has declared full (i.e 100%) liquidation dividends to come forward for verification and payment of their deposits that are in excess of the guaranteed sums.

“The implication of this is that through our dogged liquidation activities, the Corporation has realized enough funds to fully pay all depositors of the closed banks.

“Similar notices were also sent to creditors of seven DMBs in liquidation as well as depositors and ex-staffs of two MFBs and a PMB, details of which are still available on our website and social media handles.

“I call on depositors, creditors and shareholders of the listed closed banks to avail themselves of the verification platforms provided by the Corporation to claim their funds.

“We are happy to notify the general public that the Corporation has won the court case versus shareholders of the defunct Fortune Bank International, hence all depositors of the defunct bank can now visit our offices across the country to file their claims for the purpose of reimbursement of their trapped deposits in the bank or use the other channels.”