Customers plead with banks to service ATMs efficiently during Christmas
Ahead of Christmas celebration, customers on Friday called on banks to ensure effectiveness of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Some customers, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, said the call was necessary because ATM services were not usually effective, especially during festive periods.
Mrs Cecilia Ugeh, a trader, said: `` In my area in Kubwa, it is hard to use the ATM and get money during public holidays and festive periods.''
``Right now, I am here to collect money and I have not spent much time, I wish that will be the case during the celebration in Kubwa,'' she said.
Mr Felix Njaba, a civil servant, advised banks to have their engineers and staff on standby to monitor activities at the ATMs.
``I feel that what happens most times is that there is nobody to send information across to them to let them know that the machines are not dispensing money.
``They need to do something so that Nigerians will not lack money during this period,'' he said.
One of the managers of the banks, who spoke on condition of anonymity, assured customers that the ATM services would be effective during the period.
``As you can see, there are no queues in our branch and we will make sure the machines continue to dispense cash throughout the period.
``There is nothing to worry about, our security men are properly equipped and can inform those in-charge , in case at any point, the machines stops dispensing,'' he said
In Garki Area 3, where there were no fewer than six banks, NAN observed long queues at the various ATM points.
Some of the customers told NAN that the queues were equally long within the banking hall.
Miss Veronica Ejaife, a customer in one of the banks, said that the queues began since Monday at the Area 3 branch.
``I was here on Monday, the queue was long. I went back and decided to come back today, Friday, thinking that it would be less but the queue is even longer than it was then,'' she said.
At the ATM in one of the banks also in Area 3, Mr Saheed Mutala, a customer, said the service was fair but there was need for the bank to improve, especially this festive period.
``You see now their ATM is not dispensing cash, if it were working it would help reduce the queue in the banking hall,'' he said.
Ms Rose Ajafu, a customer at another bank in Area 3, said that the queue in the banking hall and at the ATM was long and not moving.
``The queue at the ATM booth is longer but it did not take me too long to cash my money because all the ATM points in this branch are working very fast,'' she said.
(NAN)
