…AS CUSTOMERS WAIL, BUT MGMT RAMIANS EVASSIVE
Customers of Bia-Torya Community Bank, headquartered at Bonsu Nkanta in the western North Region are wailing over their plight as the financial institution is unable to meet their demands.
As a result, most of them have vowed never to work again with the Bank if their deposits there, are given them in full in future.
Meanwhile, Management of the Bank has remained evasive as to the real situation on the grounds, and hiding behind sickness.
This came to light when, upon receiving complaints from customers this reporter went to the headquarters to ascertain the veracity of their complaints on August 16, 2019.
ENCOUNTER WITH MR. PAUL ANKAMAH
At the office, I was introduced to Mr. Paul Ankama, Operations Manager of the Bank, who told this reporter that the manager of the Bank was not well and was on admission at hospital. Therefore, unable to divulge information, he would suggest that the appropriate forum be created with this reporter for the necessary information to be given out.
Strangely enough, weeks after this encounter, Mr. Ankamah failed to correspond with this reporter. Each time he was called he gave text messages that he too was not well and was on admission at hospital, with the latest one coming from a purported son of his, that Doctors had advised him against talking
SITED AT FUNERAL
Then on Saturday November 2, 2019 Mr. Ankamah, the purported sick person, the manager and all management of the bank were spotted at a funeral at Kojina in the banks catch next area. The bank also has branches at Bodi, Juaboso among other places
ISSUES
According to customers, including salaried workers like teachers, even their salaries are not given them in full, but paid in tots. This has been the case with all manner customers including churches and others institutions saving with the struggling bank. A situation that has negatively affected their financial positions. To them whenever they are able to be given their full due “away with Biatorya !.
According to one teacher, after his late brother had passed away, he had up to, over Gh¢ 3000, and he needed the money for certain transactions but for well over Six months now, the financer via her own accounts has woeful failed to grant him the amount. He has therefore vowed to deal ruthlessly with the bank because he count comprehend how as teacher he should toil and moil to save money with a bank only to be treated this way.
Another customer claimed that her ward was attending school and badly need money from her financers. However, much as she tried to go some amount from her own account, it failed and she had to go for a loan with 100% interest from somewhere else.
In-fact the complaints are so numerous that they cannot be contained in a single write – up. Many are those who have grown so disinterested and disenchanted in the Bank that they have vowed never to have anything doing with that Bank anymore
BODI BRANCH
Information gathered indicated that the manager there gave massive loans to his own people who were care taker farmers there, and when cocoa production failed, they (caretaker’s farmers) trooped en mass to their various homes without paying back the money (loan). As a result, the bank failed to meet customers demand. This situation they say brought about panic withdrawals from other branches following romours that the bank was collapsing. Meanwhile the Bodi Branch is now pale shadow of itself as transaction there have been on and off
JUABOSO BRANCH
At this Branch, where there is no sign board of the Bank but only MTN notices suggesting that it is an MTN office, customers are scarcely seen going there for transaction. In fact the complaints abound. This situation, has given rise to customers from that bank opening accounts with the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB)
INFERIOR, COMMUNIST TACTICS
Our information is that those daring customers who go out there to complain openly about their predicaments at the hands of the bank are subjected to various forms of punitive punishments including arrest by the police. In fact the story is told of one tutor of Juaboso Senior High School (JUASEC), having fallen victim to this
BOMBSHELL
Our information has it further that staff management and those who matter in the Bank have loaned to themselves huge MOUNTS FROM THE Bank hence this predicament. Meanwhile, with the evasive nature of the management, where does one ascertain the truth, as customers endure the predicaments and pains on the quit ?
GOVERNMENT MUST COME IN
In the face of all these, mustn’t government come in to bail out suffering customers from the hand of this bank as happened to some banks in the country since the beginning of the year? This call is most important as the Bank is alleged to be using its high statute to intimidate suffering customers. A stick in hand …..
Source: S.O Ankamah, Sefwi Juaboso