Nigerians hope of completing their financial transactions through their banks was dashed on Thursday as NIBSS the country’s biggest inter-bank payment system experiences downtime.
In a short statement seen via various bank applications the payment system stated that the downtime is due to an emergency maintenance happening on its platform.
“Please be informed that NIBSS Instant Payment is currently conducting an emergency system maintenance that may cause a delay in transfers to or from your account. The maintenance is expected to be completed shortly.” the statement reads.
Reacting to the development, business owner and X user, Charles-Davies Omiete said, “NIBSS is down, how can the enabler of the most popular payment system in a country be down for over an hour? Businesses are losing money by the second. The banks should be discussing a more dependable inter-bank transfer system ASAP.”
Wondering how parents whose children are in need of urgent medical care cope, X user and pediatrician, Doutuche asked, “NIBSS is down again. How will parents that want to pay admission fees for their babies to be put in incubators cope?”
“NIBSS shouldn’t have downtimes for a long time. Something as critical as that for payments should be top priority, knowing how its downtimes impact businesses and our economy in general.” Another X user, Victor Ikeji said.
“NIBSS is down!! In this country everything is out to frustrate your life. Imagine not being able to pay for goods and services because you can’t make a transfer!” Ben (@_info2019) lamented.
“If Grid is not down, NIBSS will be down, if it’s not NIBSS, it’s another problem, no wonder people don’t live long here anymore.” Timi (@Timio2) tweeted.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
