Desparate customers besieged virtually all bank branches in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital  to meet yesterday deadline given by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the Bank Verification Number (BVN).
Our correspondent who visited  banks in various parts of the city reports that as early as 6.00am, when bank officers were yet to commence the day’s services, most branches had recorded over 100 customers each who were arranging themselves in numbers waiting for bank staff to resume duties.
According to him, there were confusion as disorderliness reigned in the bank branches following attempts by some irresponsible customers  to jump the queue.
Some of the customers who said they had struggled for past consecutive three days without success insisted that they must be attended to before those who came just yesterday without even collecting the BVN enrolment forms.
It is obvious that most customers would not be captured before the stipulated deadline unless CBN considers pleas for extention of the exercise.
Among common complaints by some customers who spoke to The Tide was that there were not enough awareness campaign or public education by CBN and commercial  banks to mobilise customers especially those in the rural areas.
Ï was not aware that such exercise was on because I’ve been sick and in the rural area of the state”, said Mrs Celine Amanna.
Amanna appealed for extention of the deadline to enable such special customers get captured.
Another person, Chidi Anuforo said his father died two months ago and he was the next of kin to his father.  He said the account his father operated as a salary account would be frustrated if he was unable to captured in the exercise adding that their economic well-being as well as the education of his brothers would also be affected.

Chris Oluoh