Reactions have trailed the Federal Government’s decision to re-introduce charges for the use of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) for bank transactions.
The Tide gathered that the Central Bank has concluded plans to re-introduce financial attachment to ATM use by next month.
Businessmen/women, who spoke to our reporter, last weekend in Port Harcourt, said the decision was not inline with the best international practice of the banking industry.
They wondered at the huge amount the banks would rake in on daily basis through the operations of the ATM.
According to them, if the CBN succeeds in re-introducing the proposed N65 charge the banks would make more money at the expense of their customers.
A motor spare parts deader, Mr. Standy Aja-Amadi, noted that the Federal Government was in a hurry to come up with such plans, considering the number of bank customers that use the ATM each day.
He explained that the FG’s earlier decision to allow not more than the withdrawal of N150,000 for an individual per day, was already bad news for the some people.
Aja-Amadi, said that the best thing to do was to bam the use of ATM rather than use the people to service the system.
The business tycoon regretted that the powers that be are only after profit maximisation rather than the welfare of the masses.
However, he has appealed to the Minister of Finance and Cordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iwela, to advise against such, as it may lead to a sharp decline in the banking industry.
Another Bank customer, Mr. Jacob Obinwa wondered why the apex bank would want to re-introduce what it stopped in the past, adding that it is not in the best interest of the customers.
“If the banks have been operating without the charge, there is no need re-introducing it because the introduction can even discourage the customers who are struggling to go cashless”.
Meanwhile, a management consultant in one of Nigerian banks, Dr. Boniface Chivia has said that the re-introduction is in the best interest of the customers.
Chivia in an interview with a television station said that the ATM policy by the Central Bank will ensure better  network provision in the daily transactions with the banks.
He noted that the N65 payment is only applicable to the use of other banks and not where your account is.
The consultant warned against the danger of carrying cash around instead of the payment of the little token, adding that “we live in a country where we cannot identify who is who.
We should see the ATM card charge policy as being safety oriented and forget about the negative side of the issue”.

Kinanwi Siakpugi Highman

Chairman, Subsidy Re-Investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), Retired Gen. Martin Lurther-Agwai (2nd right), inspecting the Light Rail Project in Abuja last Friday. With him is the Coordinator, SURE-P Operations, Mr Ali Fatoma.