Imported User:
Bank customers in the Federal Capital Territory have called for the provision of more Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) to reduce the long queues at banks.
The machines were malfunctioning in some of the banks.
A NAN correspondent who visited some of the banks, observed that their banking halls were occupied by customers who either came to make withdrawals or deposits.
There were also long queues of customers waiting to withdraw money from the ATMs.
At branches of First Bank of Nigeria Ltd. at Nyanya, Karu and Mararaba near the FCT, customers expressed their anger over the failure of the machines to dispense cash.
Mr Donatus Agbo, a legal practitioner, urged the banks to update the ATMs to enable them dispense money faster.
``This ATM should be the easiest way to cash money but I am surprised that the case is different. We are not supposed to be stressing ourselves with this unnecessary queue.
``Banks must provide more ATMs, the two here are not enough. Meanwhile, as you can see, it is only one that is working, how can one machine serve this crowd?’’ Agbo asked.
Mrs Grace Ekwuzie, a trader who spoke to NAN while waiting for her turn to make a withdrawal at First Bank, Wuse Zone 5, said: ``I am not happy about the way the banks are operating.
``They make it compulsory that if a customer wants to withdraw less than N100, 000, it must be done through the ATM and they refused to maintain the machines forgetting that these machines will be busy 24 hours.
``This is not fair at all, they should provide more machines to avoid this delay.''
The situation was the same at Eco and Zenith Banks at Wuse Market.
Mr Martins Momodu, a civil servant, told NAN that some of the ATMs were too slow in dispensing cash due to lack of maintenance.
``The banks are not maintaining some of their ATMs; this is where customers cash their money.
``Some banks have now made it compulsory that customers must get their money through the ATMs so they have no reason not to maintain the machines,’’ he said.
At Access Bank, Karu-Nyanya, Mr Deji Bolanle, a taxi driver who expressed anger over the failure of the ATM to dispense cash, urged the management of the bank to ensure effective service delivery.
``I had a bitter experience during the nationwide strike on fuel subsidy removal. Also during the Easter celebration, I trusted the ATM and it never worked and I had to resort to borrowing.
``I want the banking industry to do something positive to ratify this problem. The machines need maintenance, at least twice in a week.
``They should also try to provide more of the machines to enable them function effectively,’’ he said.
Miss Ada Igwe, a student, said there was need for the bank management to address the challenges to reduce the hardship faced by customers.
``This is not encouraging; it has been a long time I have to queue to cash less than N5, 000,’’ Igwe said.
One of the bank managers, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, attributed the challenges to an ongoing system upgrade in some banks.
``We will attend to every customer, we are making efforts to provide more ATMs in some of our branches here in Abuja and other states.'' (NAN)
