The current Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, has declared that the salaries of civil servants, government appointees will be withheld henceforth without Bank Verification Number (BVN).

While expressing dissatisfaction to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s declaration that the state is very far in National Financial Inclusion, Umahi made the vow in Abakaliki.

Umahi stated: “Anybody that doesn’t have BVN should not expect salary. No BVN, no salary. Whether it is political or not. The Deputy Governor has BVN and I have BVN. So, any political appointee that doesn’t have BVN, no salary. Any civil servant that doesn’t have BVN or have incomplete BVN or intentionally gave out wrong BVN, I have noted that and such a person will not take a salary until they have BVN.

“Commissioners for Local Government, you have to implement that immediately. No salary for the month of November, December until everybody has got a BVN, this is very important. So, some of you that have not opened an account for the first time in your life, you now open account. They said Ebonyi is the least in bank account opening, it shouldn’t be.”

Meanwhile, the Ebonyi State Branch Controller of CBN, Adayi Chris Onah told the state Executive Council that the Financial Access Performance across geo-political zones of the country showed that South East has average
exclusion rate of 29.3%.

He disclosed that Ebonyi State has 43.6% which is above the national average of 36.8% and the regional average of 29.3% while other states in the zone are recording an average of between 25.4%-28.7%, Ebonyi State was still very far at 43.6% exclusion rate, hence the state was selected in the south-east for a pilot exercise for account opening week which would commence from December 2-7, 2019.

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Continuing, Onah said that the state government has accessed over N12bn through various interventions of the bank while some other persons in the state also accessed over N4bn.

However, Governor Umahi also announced appointments of more 513 aides designated as Technical Assistants (TAs).

A statement from his Principal Secretary (PS), Chief Clement Nweke directed the newly appointed 513 TAs to report to the office of the PS with their credentials for documentation.

It was recalled that Umahi had last three months appointed over 1,000 aides including the TAs, Senior Technical Assistants (STAs), Executive Assistants (EAs), Commissioners, Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants.