Posts Tagged ‘Nigerian Banks’

Outrageous Bank Charges!

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

Outrageous bank charges in my account, this is unacceptable! It is not often that I make  a post because I’m angry. But this post, Outrageous bank charges was inspired by the activities of my banker that I just discovered this morning. I wasn’t planning to make any post today, but I got angry enough to hit my computer keyboard, because I’m definitely going to reclaim those bank charges or look for a better banker. Here is the story and I will be glad to read your opinion.

I got a cheque from a foreign firm who places adverts on this website (I do make money online you know). The cheque was for $125. Small amount I know, but that’s what makes the big bucks when it comes from different streams. Well, with excitement, I deposited the cheque in my domiciliary USD account with my banker, one of the famous Nigerian Banks (some are no longer famous, if you care to know why, read this post, .

The cheque was credited into the account and I went home smiling that in another 21days (well, from experience that is what it takes before a foreign cheque gets cleared into a Nigerian domiciliary account),  I will have access to the fund. However, I was shocked to discover when checking my account online the following day that the figure credited into my bank account has been reversed. A new figure for $100 was now credited! That was so confusing. I’ve never heard of such before. What manner of accounting is that? At least the cheque figure should be credited and then whatever charges the bank wants to make can now be debited into the account with explanation. Well, that wasn’t the case.

Careless me, I forgot to take the issue up (I guess I was too busy chasing more money online). I forgot all about the transaction until this morning when I discovered that I have been charged another $10.50 for the same cheque (21days is accomplished, the cheque from the foreign firm has cleared). Also, another $20 was charged as handling fees for sending the cheque from Nigeria to the foreign firms banker! For crying out loud, it is just a piece of payer, almost weightless! Isn’t this courier charge outrageous!

Anaylsis of The Outrageous Bank Charges

A quick analysis of all the charges got me angry. First, $25 charged for unknown reason, another $10.5 charged for unknown reason and finally $20 charged as handling fees. That means a total charges of $55.5 out of $125! That is a whooping 44% of the cheque value. So, while I labor tirelessly trying to make money online legitimately, my banker is sitting in the comfort of his office and taking out 44% of the proceed without my authorization. And nobody deemed it necessary to offer some explanation on why my internet business proceed should be divided between me and my banker in a manner I consider unfair.

My Reaction To the Bank Charges

If they had taking 10% or 20% of the proceed, maybe I would have been too busy to notice, but they took 44%. Of course, that was too much for me to forget. I paused my online business activity and made a franctic call to my account officer, ready to express my grievance. Unfortunately, he was not available to pick the call. That did not disuade me from making more effort, 44% of my earning can’t just end-up in the banker’s pocket without me putting up a fight. I quickly drafted an email and fired same with a note of urgency to the customer care service of my bank. It has been over 30 minutes since then, but there has been no respond. My account officer called back and I narrated the situation, he too promised to look into it, but there has been no response till now.

Nigerian Entrepreneurs Doing Business Online Please Help

Am I using a wrong bank?

Is this what other Nigerian Entrepreneurs doing businesses with foreign firms go through?

Was it stupid to have agreed that the foreign firm issue a cheque in settlement of the service I rendered?

What are the best steps to take when disputing bank charges?

Can bank charges be reclaim in Nigeria? I know it is possible elsewhere.

I need answer to this because it was not a one time deal. Another payment will be due soon. (I’m still making money online legitimately though I live in Nigeria!) The foreign firm does not use AlertPay, PayPal, is yet to remove Nigerians from her blacklist. So, what other options do you suggest for receiving money from this online business client?

This is not the first time am dealing with a foreign cheque. I’ve not really been careful to determine if the bank charges was fair or not. However, this particular incidence is a good starting point. I may not have noticed the outrageous bank charges if the cheque was for a five digit figure! I need your opinion on this, especially naija online entrepreneurs. Are you experiencing outrageous bank charges?

Update: Poll added based on readers demand (credit goes to Willo and McNeri) 😉

[poll id=”1″]

Note: You can choose up to 2 answers.

Can You Still Trust Your Banker?

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Can you still trust your banker? I know that sounds like a foolish question, but hear me out first. As an Entrepreneur, I agree w to the fact that my business success team will not be complete without a trustworthy banker. Unfortunately, entrepreneurs in Nigeria, are being made to doubt if really the bankers  actually deserve a place in the success team. The recent Home Grown Financial Crisis rocking the Nigerian Banks is a real concern to Nigerian Entrepreneurs especially the small scale businesses.

I was chatting with a friend some weeks back and she asked if a particular Nigerian Bank was financially healthy. To me the question was absurd and I told her so. I even boasted that the era of banks going distressed is gone forever. Oh, how wrong I was. I had believed the lies that were told by my bankers. I believed the false reports tendered by the bankers as proof of health to the general public. The particular bank my friend was making enquiry about was among the five banks recently placed under searchlight by the CBN.

The five Nigerian Banks, according to CBN concentrated too much effort in granting loans to businesses in the highly risky oil and gas sector. As if that wasn’t enough, they set aside the rules governing loan approval and were utterly reckless in granting personal loans to insiders. Much of the loans were not properly collateralize as required by law. Simply put, they were playing lottery with depositors funds and jeopardizing investors funds.

While some people praised the effort of the CBN, some criticize the crude method used by the CBN. Recent information has shown that the CBN didn’t fine tune her findings before rushing to the press. Now the public is in a dilemma of what to believe! Well, I am not interested in the accusation and counter-accusations being traded by the CBN and the affected bankers. My personal concern is the effect of this ill wind on the economy of Nigeria.

Can I still trust my banker?

Until this millenum, small scale entrepreneur in Nigeria were quite skeptical of using banks.  They trusted their ‘Esusu’ ‘Akawo’ and other local cooperative societies better than the banks. However, it is practically impossible to expand ones business and play in the bigger market without making use of banks. So, many were forced to imbibe the culture of using the banking system.

Beside this, the activities of petty thieves and armed robbers have thought many that it is not a wise idea keeping large quantity of physical cash at home. Also, the introduction of ATM machine encouraged many entrepreneurs who are merchants to imbibe the culture of using banks for transfering money from one location to another. Gone are the days when merchants travelling from Onitsha to Lagos or any other part of Nigeria carries money on their person while travelling. The ATM card is safer and more portable.

Unfortunately, the recent activities of the bankers has cast serious doubts on the mind of the small scale entrepreneurs. The reality is that the average small scale businessman in Nigeria is now scared of putting his/her little fund in the bank. But how can you transact business without using the banks. This remains a dilemma! It is common sense to note that the risk of getting robbed while keeping physical cash is higher and more probable than the risk of a bank getting distressed. However, if bankers tells lies blatantly and engage in shoddy deals with depositors fund, should an entrepreneur still trust them?

I’m sorry if I disappointed you by not providing an answer to the nagging question, “Should I still trust my banker?” I really feel bad that the effort to encourage the public to imbibe the culture of keeping cash in the bank and doing less of physical cash transaction has been badly crippled by the dishonest financial institutions. The truth is, people are really getting scared of entrusting their funds with bankers.

Is there no Solution?

I really wish the regulatory bodies (CBN etc.) will wake up to their duties. Their primary assignment is to prevent fraudulent and illegal practices among the financial institutions. Their effort should be concentrated on prevention (not catching culprits long after the loot has been spent!)

I personally don’t give any kudos to CBN for their performance so far. As far as I’m concerned, they are partly to blame for the rottenness in the financial sector. If their inspectors and auditors are men of integrity who prefer good name to bribe, they would have discovered and reported long ago on the anomalies occurring in those banks books. Since they failed to give accurate and honest report as at when due, then I see them as accomplices who encouraged the bankers to misuse depositors funds.

The issue of non-performing loans

The outcry of the CBN on the mamoth size of the non-performing loans being carried by the banks is another issue that deserve closer srutiny. It is a well known fact that the various tiers of government are owning local entrepreneurs working for them. Instead of using the public fund in the coffer to settle contractors who have completed their job, some political office holders embezzle such fund while hiding behind official beureacracy.

Some of the entrepreneurs accused of owing non-performing loans in  those banks have come out to defend themselves and accused the government of being responsible for their inability to repay what they owed as at when due. If the government agencies refuses to pay an entrepreneur as agreed in a contract, then what right has the same government to insist that such entrepreneur should repay loan taken to execute the same contract?

If EFCC is serious about helping to recover the non-performing loans, then they should start by querying the top government officials in those parastatals that are owing contractors. The accountant-generals, commissioners of finance etc of each state and local government should be asked to explain to the public why they are not meeting up with the contract agreement made with the local entrepreneurs. The truth be told, we will have a better Nigeria if our leaders believe in the slogan, Good Leaders, Great Nation!

I’ll love to hear your opinion on this issue. Share with us in the comment section. You can get updates to this post Can You Still Trust Your Banker by subscribing to Nigerian Entrepreneur RSS feed, Cheers.