Long queues as bank customers groan in Awka

Bank customers in Awka, the Anambra state capital on Monday had a hectic time in their bid to get into the various banking halls to access bank services.

The ease of four weeks total lockdown announced by Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state took effect on May 4.

Journalists who monitored the situation, report that there were long queues and clusters of customers within the bank premises, waiting to enter the banking halls.

In spite of the relaxing of the lockdown, the banks still maintained coronavirus prevention protocols with handwash buckets and sanitisers.

Also, others had lists where customers wrote their names and phone numbers which also served as tally for entering.

However, with the surge at the various bank hall entry points and the manner in which the customers stood in groups to bemoan their frustration, it was clear that physical distance was not observed within the bank premises.

At Ecobank branch near Government House, customers were seen loitering outside and waiting to be called upon to go inside.

One of the customers who simply gave his name as Uzochukwu said he got there at about 9 a.m and expressed fears if he would be attended to before noon.

Uzochukwu said that the expectations of Anambra government for relaxing the lockdown might not be realised if people could not make financial transaction easily to facilitate their businesses.

Attempts by the correspondent to write his name on the list revealed that the number had reached 120 with more than half of that number waiting outside.

A security man on duty who pleaded anonymity said the long queue was due to the banks adherence to physical distance limit within the banking hall.

He said with the orderliness of the queue system, every customer would be attended to if they exercised patience.

At Access Bank on Ziks Avenue, the situation was even more chaotic as there was no queue system or list where customers wrote their names according to when they arrived.

Although, there were canopies where customers took shelter, security men were busy trying to control the movement of people in and out of the bank hall.

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Another customer, who preferred to be referred to as Ndigwe, said he rushed to the bank to send money to a relation who had an emergency but waited for over two hours to no avail.

Ndigwe said banks should ease their processes to reduce man hour loss to banking services as the current situation was not sustainable.

He said banks should load their Automated Teller Machine with cash to reduce the demand for in-hall banking services against a situation where some banks had just one of or machines functional out of four or five installed.

NAN reports that similar situation occurred at various banks in the town especially those around Eke-Awka market and on Enugu-Onitsha expressway where some of them managed the crowd at their entrance gates.