It has been a chaotic situation at banks’ branches in Awka, Anambra State capital since Monday, as customers were frustrated by the banks’ issuance of just N5,000 to them, irrespective of how much they requested.
TNC Correspondent who monitored the event at the banks at UNIZIK and along the Enugu-Onitsha expressway, reports that customers could only get N5,000 within the banking hall, while the ATMs were only able to dispense N5,000.
Some frustrated customers who had spent hours trying to get the cash became frustrated and began to howl insults at the banks.
Some customers who spoke to TNC correspondent, Victor Umenwa and Mrs Nneka Obi, said they are yet to understand what is going on and why the banks couldn’t give them the money they deposited with them.
According to them, the development is already breeding fear and apprehension among the populace, over the stability and integrity of the banks.
“The integrity of banks should be measured by their ability to give their customers their monies back when they come for it.
”There is no explanation whatsoever for the banks to deny people their money. It’s so frustrating and annoying,” they said.
For a businessman, Ikechukwu Odoh, who had spent 3 hours trying to get cash for some transactions without success, the disposition of the banks is distasteful.
He lamented the hardship the banks are putting their customers into, calling on the government to look into the operations of the banks to alleviate the suffering of the people.
Mrs Adaobi Akonobi, who came to the bank to get money to pay for her children’s school fees and purchase some items for her family, shared her unpleasant experience, describing the development as worrisome.
“As I am talking to you now, my children are stranded at home, because the people I am supposed to get money and pay for some items are waiting for me.
”They have been calling me since morning and I have been telling them stories.
“What is most annoying is how comfortable these people here are despite the sufferings they have plunged the people. They appear too unconcerned! If I withdraw my money from these banks, I would rather keep them at home,” she vowed.
However, our correspondent’s findings show that Point of Sales, PoS operators in the state, have enough cash to give out to people while collecting rates.
This posed the question, of where the operators get the money they use to trade.
A businessman and PoS, James Munachi revealed that they no longer go to deposit money at the banks, instead, they now prefer to keep the monies with them and disburse to people.
He however noted that the development places them at great risk in the hands of robbers.
“When this PoS business started years ago, the modus operandi was to collect monies from people daily from morning till around 4 pm and then you rush to deposit it at the banks.
“Today, we are the ones banking the money while the banks that are supposed to keep the funds in safety can’t even give people their money.
“It is not our fault because the people need to transact and we must be able to provide them the money, otherwise, nothing can happen.
“I believe that if we can get our money from the banks, we will have the confidence to deposit our money with them.
“Unfortunately, I don’t know whether these banks are not even worried that the people are removing them from the equation,” he said.
