Anguish as ATM frustrate residents in Delta

This is certainly not the best of time for residents of Asaba, the Delta State capital and Oghara, the administrative headquarters of Ethiope West Local Council as a bulk of the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) stationed in both cities have continuously failed to dispense cash during this festive period.

Our reporter who yesterday monitored the harrowing experiences, observed only a few of the facilities had funds. The trauma of bank customers was further heightened by under-dispensing and failure of transactions in some instances.

Specifically, residents were seen traversing the length and breadth of the popular Nnebisi Road in the state capital in search of elusive loaded dispensing facilities.

In a scene reminiscent of the biblical exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, a mammoth crowd was seen within the premises of a new generation bank in the early hours of yesterday where after a number of withdrawals, all six ATMs simply displayed “temporary out of service. Please visit any one of our branches.”

Frustrated, the ‘unfortunate’ few who could not take their turns before the facilities went dried, headed for another new generation financial institution where the pace of the only dispensing machine was abysmally slow.

Further checks on other banks indicated that a good number of them were deserted possibly due to lack of funds while a few others were peopled by obviously traumatised citizens seated in front of the facilities.

But for a number of other financial institutions with scanty queues, overcrowding was a decimal with the concomitant expression of anguish by customers.

In Oghara, the case was not in any way different as a number of banks in the town were virtually empty following the “temporary out of service” messages displayed in most of the money-dispensing machines.

The Guardian also observed the displeasing mood of the people towards the managements of the financial institutions whom they bitterly castigated for the lapses during this period of the year where the demand for cash is always high.

A septuagenarian, who spoke with our reporter, regretted that he could not make withdrawal when he needed it most, thus thwarting his proposed trip to Asaba.

Another indigene and a pregnant woman accused the banks of deliberately reducing the cash in circulation.

She claimed that queues and disappointment were though fast becoming commonplace in banks nationwide.