The introduction of ATM in the Nigerian banking system had tremendously helped ease the operational difficulties in banking, especially in the aspect of debiting, money transfer and payments of utility bills among other services.
ATM Quick Service Points (QSP) gave bank costumers the leverage to use their banks with ease anywhere and anytime, except transactions that has to do with cheques which requires ones presence in the bank for clearance and huge cash haulage. The emphasis in using ATM's across Nigeria is to consolidate the Apex Bank (CBN's) Cashless Policy which is aimed at reducing the circulation of cash in sight in bank transactions, businesses and other daily monetary activities within Nigeria and beyond.
Today, Nigerians are groaning due to the intense hardship they are confronting whenever they want to withdraw their hard earned money from bank ATM, long queue associated with shortage and faulty ATM's has become the order of the day, making bank costumers to spend several hours waiting for their turn to do transaction. The presence of ATM spot is usually restricted to urban areas, thereby making it necessary for the teaming rural dwellers farmers, businessmen and civil servants inclusive, risking their lives to move kilometers away to areas with availability of ATM's to make transactions. The raging snatching of cars, money, hand bags and other valuables of ATM users in ATM spots across Nigeria is at an alarming rate, beside snatching, fraudsters are finding it comfortable to sneak out ones ATM's secret code numbers in order to have access to his/her account to steal what they so wish. Victims of this ungodly act usually end up crying in agony without much help rendered, and the perpetrators even if caught will not get big punishment but a lesser penalties of either short period prison term or a little amount to be payed as fine.
To solve this problem therefore, the Apex Bank shall make it mandatory for Nigerian Banks to establish branches in all the 774 local governments of the country, with ATM spot in each local government secretariat to ease people difficulties of going to neighboring local governments or state capital for one transaction or another. This will further reduce the risk in traveling to far distance for the purpose of bank transactions except when necessary. Banks shall improve security of ATM users to reduce the unfortunate incidences of car, money and valuables snatching, and sometimes even bodily harm against ATM users. More ATM Quick Service Points (QSP) shall be created even in urban areas where there are plenty of banks, this will reduce long queues and transaction delay. Banks shall continue sensitizing costumers on the need to keep secret their ATM pin numbers against anyone except those they trusted. Perpetrators of banks criminal activities shall if caught be severely dealt with, to dater others. Let's the policies not be only at the advantage of the banks, Nigerians in villages and cities must benefit too.
mumarlere@gmail.com
Wrote from Zaria
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