DIAMOND BANK ACER FRAUD!
March 8, 2008 by 
Che Oyimnatumba
Written By: Che Oyinatumba.
When was the last time you used an ATM card to withdraw money from any of these bloated mega banks in Nigeria? If you are the lucky few, whose ATM card has not been detained by these machines, I envy you. Most of us have found ourselves at the receiving end of the rush by Nigerian banks to become IT compliant and “the leading bank in Africa”, without first putting the supporting structures in place. Network failure as an excuse for inefficiency, is as worn out as a cracked CD.
From arrested ATM cards to deductions for money not belched out, we “ordinary customers” are left at the mercy of a cheerless bank staff, who carelessly ask us to refer the ATM hitch at Wuse market their head office in Lagos to report.
If you think this arrest of ATM cards is the only ill bedeviling these forced marriages by Soludo, take time and observe the attitude of the bank staff to customers. The way most of these caged staff respond to the depositor, you wonder whose money pays whose salary. This devil may care attitude, is a sharp contrast to the connoted sexual appeal of their marketing staff when they come soliciting for accounts. The ladies they dump at this department from their build are obviously employed because of the size of their mammary gland, sex appeal and not the content of their skull. I had the misfortune to run into one at Diamond Bank, Central Area Abuja. After parroting what was obviously a rehearsed response, this lady folded up, ignored my complaint.
What is my grievance?
I went to Park ‘N’ Shop to buy a computer, but the Indian at the desk, speaking as though he has pebbles in his mouth, introduced me to Acer/Park ‘n’ Shop/Diamond Bank laptop promo. I expressed my fears about banks, but Mr. Ranji (generic name for Indians), assured me there is enough stock to supply the request of Diamond Bank.
I executed a lease agreement with Diamond Bank, signed by one Mr. Jonas Chukuijioke and Miss Vivian Egboluche. Its over two months I entered this agreement and in tune with the agreement, Diamond Bank has deducted two months installments from my account without giving me the said Acer laptop. The staff at their retail banking department in Lion Building Branch Abuja, having met their target care less about the inconvenience their ineptitude have caused their customers and most injuriously me. Why run a promo you can not deliver as at when due? At my third missionary journey to collect the laptop, after one Mr. Lekan made sure the previous two were abortive, one lady told me to take my complaint to Lagos, as that’s where their retail manager is. I need not be a lawyer to know that the agreement was undertaken and signed in Lion Building, Plot 792 Mohammad Buhari Way Abuja. Or must I be a Bill Gate to know what e-banking entails. But being fraudulently minded, most bank hide under their CAC registered address to frustrate customers. Am I sad? Yes. Surprised? No. After all Diamond Bank’s signature tune sounds “ole ole ole, when you re-listen to it after my harrowing experience.
In all honesty, it’s not only Diamond Bank that is involved in this fraud. Almost all the 25 Mega banks and corporate Nigeria are as guilty as hell. It took over a year for Oceanic Bank to issue share certificate to subscribers, despite their bank winning a bogus Nigerian Bank of the year award. A visit to any of their banking halls will show the callous attitude of their staff to customers. What is wrong in the banking industry? Do their human resource/personnel departments ever do psychological profiling of these staff to find out if they are fit to work under pressure and cheerfully attend to “reasonable” customers? Or does all one need to get employed and retain same; is ownership of an Uncle with a healthy account? This constant drive to meet target has turned the banking industry into an auto machine that cares less for her costumers. I know the staff are also under bondage.
Akin to this, is the Dangote group.
After mopping up people’s money for their CEO to make it to Forbe Magazine’s richest man in the world list, the Dangote group is arbitrarily allotting shares to subscribers and returning their money without an apology or explanation. A friend of mine, bought/subscribed and fully paid for Dangote flour share offer to the tune of 3000 shares. After Donkey months, Dangote allotted to her 750 ordinary shares. First Bank Nigeria PLC after their “Elephant has entered the market” promo had the presence of mind to tell Nigerians that they are over subscribed and hence leverage and a roof was placed. What is Dangote’s ceiling? Assess Bank PLC is also as guilty as drenched fowl, they are yet to issue share certificates.
Another means of corporate fraud is the sell of scratch cards for various programs. The sell of University of Abuja Post Graduate scratch had Unity Bank making extra N600:00 (six hundred Naira) per card. The bank hiding that it is service/handling charge, rip off unsuspecting Nigerians.
When other less fortunate Banks had their licenses revoked as a result of weak base, occasioned by heavy borrowing by some states and their governors, not excluding some head of governmental agencies, we thought that the soludonization of the bank will result in better dividend for the depositor. But these mega banks are shylocks to boot. The miserable rate they charge on soft loan made many long serving civil servants to lose their houses after paying the first 10%. Years after these merger, services of these banks have not improved, their social responsibility is poor, they would rather sponsor a celebrity dance competition, instead of talent hunt. Why over popularise a popular actor, when there are millions of depositors, awaiting a break of N500,000:00 (Five Hundred Naira) to stream into limelight. Some go to the extra mile of sponsoring English Premier League, while Nigerian Football League crave for sponsorship and undiscovered talents pine away. I hope non in corporate Nigeria, is blaming the Nigerian Super Chicken over their performance in Ghana.
Do these corporations ever carry out social impact assessment of their programes/promo? The failure to do a feasibility study beyond the financial gain and loss, has led to many companies carrying out self-imposed social corporate responsibility without finding out what the host community needs.
It’s over 5 years since the GSM revolution took Nigerian with a bang. Nigerians have been treated to all manner of promos that do not improve their daily lives. Many musicians have gone though the over 36 universities in Nigeria on the bill of a company in Nigeria, without anyone asking is there telecommunications department in these universities? Have the GSM companies ploughed back into the manpower base of their host community? Year in, year out our antelope legged brothers from East Africa, win the marathon and exhausted Nigerian recharge card buyer goes home without understanding how GSM works. What is stopping these GSM providers from sponsoring a professional chair in any Nigerian university on information communications technology, rather than wasting money congratulating the NCC chairman over the honorary doctorate degree given to him by University of Nigeria Nsuka.
| 2.8 (1 person) |
Mr. Che,
Why are you just a bundle of lies? Why do you derive pleasure in running others down? Have you really sat down to analyze the weight of the lies you have just told?
Have you really done your research on your claims? or you just imagine stuff and put on paper (blog, internet) because you want to be heard?
Even your article is not coordinated. Your subject talks about about Diamond Bank and fraud yet you talk about other banks, ATM, Dangote (imagine), Premier League and so on.
Come on man, get real, shut the f*%k up and stop crying over spilt milk. Get your facts right on issues ok.
By the way, i heard that you are not even the recipient of the ACER laptop, not even a customer of Diamond Bank so what da f*#K?
I’m only speaking my mind, just like you. Difference is, your mind is full of shit.
Dear Mr Nwagwu,
Thanks for your comment.
I am happy it got you worked up and exposed the shit in your heart after reading the piece on Diamond Bank Fraud.
Let me recommend you brush with Omo and bleach!
If you did your investigation well, Or the parrot that you spoke to lied to you, for I did enter a valid contract with Diamond Bank. Che Oyinatumba is my pen name! I under take the pains of the masses as though they are mine.This aside, did Diamond Bank PLC deliver the Acer Laptop as at when due?
Or you think customers’ have no right to be treated fair and square? And when the chips are down, we shall address the judge.
As per other issues, kindly re-read. I co-joined other issues/ Banks because its not only Diamond Bank that is involved in this corporate fraud.
I also bought Dangote shares for my little girl and suffered the fate i wrote about. Please address the issues raised and tell me if corporate Nigeria has
treated Nigerians well. Is the ATM working as constantly advertised?
Are you not aware that on the eve of the end of the banking year, banks solicit all manner of deposits to meet the CBN deadline? And in the quest for this, they push the ladies into questionable banking practises,which undermines morality and the aggetation of a gender friendly work environment.
All i did was raise the mirror before all, if you cut off my hand, as you attempted with your refined language, it doesn’t change the image! The Nigerian banking industry needs reform.
Keep the passion burning!
Che.
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Che nice write up.Dont mind mr nwagwu.its people like him that spoil this country by calling a spade a shovel.i am sure he is a staff of diamond bank.
Mr che,
i’m with u full thing.
don’t mind people like Mr. Nwagwu he is just a problem to our country not a solution.
in fact i,ve been treated as such by Diamond Bank, when i was serving as a corp member(Akwa Ibom state 2007), Diamond bank hardly pay us when due, and when they decide to pay that should be 1week after our colleagues in other banks might have received their’s, they still go as much as deducting three hundred and fifty naira(=N=350) which they call tax after we complained to the managment. how can some one pay tax on =n=9,750 allowance (not salary) and our other colleagues in other banks are not charged such, is it not defrauding us of our little pie nut from federal government and even after the service year they refused to pay us complete deducting almost =n=2,000 from our account.
mr uche
there is an adge that says in the abordunce of the heart the mouth speaks
pls state ur facts catigorical…
my father is the delta state co-ordinator of the EFCC.i will involve the EFCC on this issue
cos as nigerians we all are to be treated patialy in all aspect
i will be waiting 4 ur reply
Mr. Che,
I don’t want to say you’re wrong, but the truth is that the banking industry is growing. I want to believe that you over reacted and may have even spoken to the bank staff naughtily as you showed in your write up, therefore worsen the treatment they would have given you. Pls before you throw up things like this into the net for the world to see, check yourself to ascertain if you did not add to the problem. More so, complaints and concentrating on the weaknesses of organisations in Nigeria will not help our economy, we need the way forward. For me I know Diamond bank is in no way as bad as you painted. Infact they are one of the best in Nigeria, when you talk about customer care
Everybody knows Diamond Bank is Pure Unadultrated crap! No one i know has had a good experience with the. myself inclusive. take heart.
i can’really see much on you people’s do on retail banking or the firm is not on it. please analyse and give me the feed back. i want to know before i start banking with the bank
well, well lets pipe down.
we can make a better society without these crap institutions ripping us off.
they should not advertise what they cant offer.
Cheers man. No bank in Nigeria is worth it…..
Mr. Che,
Thank you for this wonderful write- up. You did quite well in trying to expose the weaknesses of Nigerian corporate organisations. In regards to the banking sector, all of us know that the banking industry in Nigeria is not at its best, personally I have had several encounters with cheerless bank staff who treat we customers as though we were the cause of their problems. But I also believe the industry is working hard to improve the standard of customer service delivery and should not be criticised in this way. I am a customer to Diamond Bank, although am presently in Dubai, U.A.E, I felt very bad after reading this post. The first thing that caught my attention was the caption DIAMOND BANK ACER FRAUD, I was still in Nigeria when the promo was on though I did not take part in it, so I cannot comment on it. To me, the biggest problem with Diamond bank is their ATM machines which are almost out of service more than it is in service, but I sure do know that they are doing well in the area of customer relations. Let us not throw away the baby with the bathwater, we cannot condemn Diamond bank just because of the encounter of one person (in the case of Mr. Che). My advise to Mr. Che, If you want to address the problem of the banking industry or other corportate organisations in Nigeria, I think it would be better to generalise it and not name names, be constructive in your criticism, articles like this cause more harm than good. And to the corporate bodies (Diamond Bank in this case) try your best to live up to your responsibilities, Nigerians deserve better services, it is about time it is given to us.