GTB Asaba, customers complain against shoddy treatment over BVN

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            Pregnant woman collapses, revived following long wait, while standing

The strain and stress of Bank Verification Number (BVN) continued to be felt in Asaba, as enforcement of the directive of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) got underway following the expiration of the time allowed for bank customers to register their names and collect their numbers.

IN particular at the GTB, Nnebisi Road, Asaba, Delta State, it was a different kettle of fish as most customers who came to withdraw money through the ATM were denied access to their accounts and money allegedly that they did not have BVN. But, the customers who complained bitterly at the bank’s treatment to them said they had long ago visited the GTB and filled the form where they indicated their BVN.

They expressed surprised and were greatly embittered that staffers of the bank who gave them forms into which they filled the BVN did nothing about the information provided to them.

Most of the affected customers poured invectives on the GTB staffs for being shoddy in their work, and for undermining the effect their nonchalance would have on customers when they come to withdraw money from their account. Many of the GTB customers said they came to provide the bank with information on their BVN as long as six and four months ago when they filled the forms, and their fingerprints and passport photographs taken.

“Workers of this bank are unfair to their customers”, one of the visibly angry customers hollered from the crowd. “This is rubbish,” another said, pointing out that it shows the quality of service that the staffs of the bank are rendering to customers. “Why should I be denied access to my money when I filled the BVN form about four months ago?” a customer said.

Meanwhile, a pregnant lady collapsed, and fainted following the effect of the long wait on queue with no seat provided for customers should the need to seat arise. It took the intervention of other customers who rushed quickly to her aid and revived her, thereafter, a call was pull through to her husband who came in to take her away.

The GTB, Asaba experience of customers Tuesday was quite harrowing, and greatly unbecoming. Most customers who needed money urgently were in disarray when their accounts were sealed off. But utterly amazed were customers who could not understand why they should be subjected to that type of humiliation when they had actually filled the GTB form months ago, where they actually provided information about their BVN.

The situation indeed, provided opportunity for the obviously exasperated customers to look critically at the bank’s working environment and crack jokes at the nature of staffing at the bank. For instance, a customer got everyone laughing when looking closely he observed that the bank is not gender friendly. In the banking hall down, out of no fewer than 14 women staffers, only one man was in their midst. “They don’t like men as workers in this bank,” the customer said.