Customers Lament Failure Of ATMs To Dispense Cash In Abeokuta

The queue at one of the banks in Panseke, Abeokuta

ABEOKUTA - Many bank customers in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital were, on Tuesday, stranded at various automated teller machine (ATM) points in Abeokuta metropolis.

Our reporter who visited some banks at Sapon, Oke-Ilewo and Panseke areas, observed that virtually all banks did not dispense cash.

Also, most banks at Oke-Ilewo, were not dispensing cash.

Long queues were also noticed, while most customers were seen moving to other banks to see if their ATMs would dispense.

Most of the customers in some of the areas told THE ENCOUNTER NEWS that poor network might be responsible for the situation, while other machines did not have cash to dispense.

A customer, Mr. Gafar Agbaje, expressed frustration over his inability to access cash through ATM machine since Dec. 24.

“I have been moving around since Dec. 24 looking for where to withdraw, but all to no avail.

“I don’t know why banks should not load their ATM machines, especially at a period like this. We expect better services from our financial institutions,” he said.

Another customer, John Chuks, said that he had to drive from Obantoko to Sapon to withdraw money but could not achieve the purpose.

“I have been moving from bank to bank. You hardly see any ATM machine dispensing.

“The one I met will dispense once and stop again due to poor network service,” he said.

A security officer attached to one of the banks at Oke-Ilewo said, cash were withdrawn from the ATM machines overnight by POS machine operators.

A banker, who preferred anonymity, said that most ATMs were loaded with money before the holiday.

“Even the money we loaded in our own bank has finished because of heavy withdrawals by customers, but we’ve just re-loaded our ATMs now,” he said.

“There is no money again because people keep coming and withdrawing. We hope the situation will be better, as work resumes tomorrow (today Wednesday),” he said.