Rural banks adopt more security measures
Briefing Graphic Online on some of the measures, the board chairman of Bosomtwe Rural Bank, Mr Philip Bondah, said following robbery attacks on the bank in November, 2012 and its effect on its operations, as well as the trauma caused to the staff, they had not only fully armed their private security men for them to protect the banks in an effective manner, but also installed CCTV cameras in all their branches.
A gang of robbers allegedly attacked the Atwima Kokoben branch of Bosomtwe Rural Bank at 1:30 pm on November 15, 2012.
After disarming the security man on duty, the suspected robbers locked all the staff of the bank into one office, ordered the branch manager to open their strong room and made away with GH¢76,910.10.
Barely a month later, another gang allegedly attacked Multi Credit Finance Company in Kumasi around the same time and robbed the company of about GH¢20,000.
Other robberies in the Kumasi metropolis and its environs were also linked to the gang that allegedly robbed the Atwima Kokoben branch of the Bosomtwe Rural Bank and Multi Credit Finance Company.
The General Manager of Nwabiagya Rural Bank, Mr Samuel Nuamah-Dankwa also told Graphic Online in an interview, that the attack on Bosomtwe Rural Bank last year had compelled them to beef up security measures to protect all their branches.
He said besides their headquarters at Barekese, CCTV cameras had been installed at other branches of the Nwabiagya Rural Bank.
“We have also engaged the security agencies to provide professional training to all our private security men and fully arm them. With this, we hope that they would be in the position to protect our interest in case we are attacked".
“Criminals seem to be ahead all the time, but this time, we will not give them the chance, hence the need to safeguard our interest by warding off criminals from our premises. ” he said.
Mr. Nuamah-Dankwa said robbery used to take place in the night, but there seemed to be a new phenomenon where local banks were attacked in broad dayligh. He said it was for that reason that the banks were always in link with the security agencies on a 24-hour basis for support in case they were attacked.
He, therefore, assured their customers that their deposits were in safe hands.
The Chief Executive of Sekyere Rural Bank, Mr Kwadwo Obese-Antwi, who described the spate of robberies on their banks as a threat to investment in the Ashanti Region, said all rural banks have now initiated protective measures to secure their operations.
"We move cash in and out from the rural banks all the time so we sometimes become easy prey for the robbers, but this time we have improved on our security” he stressed"
Story by George Ernest Asare
