Students Groan As Banks Remain Shut At OOU

Students are groaning as banks in Olabisi Onabanjo University, OOU, Ago Iwoye in Ijebu North local government area of Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria, are still shut following a robbery attack months ago.

Our correspondent who was at the institution this morning confirmed that all the banks at the main campus of the institution are still shut while only two banks are operating at the mini campus, Ago Iwoye.

The two banks that are operating are the OOU Microfinance bank and WEMA Bank.

Students were seen milling around the Automated Teller Machine, ATM of WEMA Bank which is the only machine serving the entire students of the institution.

Most of the students who spoke with our correspondent this morning expressed displeasure over the situation which has forced them to travel to Ijebu Ode, Lagos and even Ibadan to withdraw money or transact other banking business.

According to one of the students,” this is very painful. Imagine how crowded this place is now. This is the only ATM machine that serves all the students. All the banks at the permanent campus are not working and their complaint is that they are still afraid of robbery attacks.

“Governor Amosun should come to our aid. The security measures put in place in the state should be extended to our campus,we are suffering a lot. Some of us travel as far as Lagos to pay our school fees and other fees.”

Some officials of the institution who spoke under anonymity confirmed to P.M.NEWS that the banks have vowed not to reopen in the campus until they are sure that the lives of their staff are safe.

“ I’m not sure that these people are ready to come back. What one of their bosses told me was that directives have come from their headquarters that they should remain closed until certain things are been put in place. Without that, there will be no work.

“We also are sharing from the pains as we too have to either join the long queue with the students at the two banks operating at the mini campus or we travel outside the town to withdraw money,” one of the lecturers disclosed.

A staff of one of the closed banks told our correspondent on phone that he has been transferred to another branch in Ijebu Ode, adding that he is not sure when the campus branch will be opened.

Meanwhile, the students are calling on the management to ameliorate their plight.

Reacting to the students’ claims that the government has not done much to address the challenge, an aide of the governor who pleaded for anonymity, said ” the case of OOU is tough and we need to exercise patience on the matter. Governor Amosun has not ignored their plight, he is working with the security agents to find a lasting solution to the armed robbery menace. It is just a matter of time.”

Investigation revealed that WEMA Bank in Ago Iwoye opens for business but closes very early. But as at the time of filing this report, no bank was operating in Ijebu Igbo, a neighbouring town to Ago Iwoye.

Efforts to get the state Police Command spokesman, ASP Muyiwa Adejobi, to comment on the matter proved futile as his phones were switched off.

—Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta