http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2012/mar/15/national-15-03-2012-018.html

Commercial banks begin indefinite strike in Ogun today
From Moshood Adebayo, Abeokuta
Thursday, March 15, 2012

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Hard times await residents of nine local governments in the Ogun East Senatorial District of Ogun State if the commercial banks in the areas make good their threat to begin an indefinite strike today.
The impending strike is a fall out of incessant armed robbery attack in the state, particularly in Ijebu-Ode and its environs, which in recent times had paralyzed banking activities in the zone, which the bankers said had negatively affected their business.

The bankers, under the aegis of Ogun State Bankers Forum, had last Monday met with the representative of the state government to register their displeasure over insecurity of banks in the state in recent time.
During the meeting, the state Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who represented the state Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, attributed delay in the state taking delivery of security equipment to the failure of the Presidency from signing necessary documents.

Banks in Ijebu and Shagamu axis have closed shop for the past three weeks now, leaving Abeokuta, Sango – Ota as well as the Mowe / Ibafo axis opened for business.
The Chairman, Ijebuland Bankers’ Forum, Mr. Olusegun Olusoga, who addressed a press conference yesterday in Abeokuta, the state capital, said the decision to close shop was unanimously taken by the forum during its emergency meeting, which held last Tuesday.

According to him, the forum took the position after reviewing the security situation in the state and the alleged failure of the state government to put necessary security measures in place in the state.
According to him, among the security measures demanded by the bankers were the provision of Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) as well as deployment of patrol vans and policemen to protect banking institutions in the state.

But come to think of it...it is government first priority to protect lives and properties. Gov. Amosun, your people are waiting for you to lead them.

Na wa o is it so hard to kill the bastard robbers terrorizing the state.

This ogunstate governor self. Its as if the state has no government how can der excuse b failure to sign a document by d president. Not only banks in ogun state hav security problem, also peoples lives. My family stay in sango ota but we ran to lagos because of this same robbery issue. The road at the ota toll gate is very diverstatin. Shame to the governor.

Stop this Blackmail Game, Ogun Tells Bankers
The Ogun State Government noted with dismay the
statement credited to Mr. Funmi Olusoga,
Chairman, Ijebuland Bankers’ Forum to the effect
that banks in Ijebu area of the state will not open
for customers in protest against robbery attacks on
some of them. In his said statement, Mr Olusoga
was quoted to have used reckless and intemperate
language to describe the state government.
We view the statement as a calculated attempt to
portray our government as insensitive and
unresponsive, particularly since we have always
provided periodic information to the Bankers Forum
on the sustained efforts to provide necessary
equipment for security agencies in the state. The
threat by the Bankers’ Forum to deny customers
access to banking services on account of security
complaint is gradually turning to blackmail.
For the avoidance of doubt, we need to put it on
record that in the nine months that this
administration has spent in office, we have invested
almost N3.7 billion to provide security for our
people. Last December, we ordered 10 Armoured
Personnel Carriers (APCs) to complement the two
we met on ground. Even at that, only one of the
two was working. We quickly repaired the other.
These were measures aimed at tackling the
immediate security challenge. We equally
purchased 125 patrol vans equipped with
communication gadgets for the use of the anti-
crime joint military-police task force that we
established, ‘Operation Mesa’, the Quick Response
Squad (QRS) and the other security agencies.
Some of the patrol vans had been deployed. The
others will soon be allocated.
We also got the Police High Command to approve
the special deployment of 262 additional mobile
policemen from MOPOL 20 based in Lagos to
complement the activities of the “Operation Mesa”
and other security agencies.
While the bankers believe that only the presence of
APCs can give them necessary assurances to
operate unimpeded, it should be noted that APCs
are not like cars that can be purchased off the
shelve. Apart from the period it takes to get them
from the manufacturing plant after placing an
order, one requires security clearances from both
the country of manufacture and the end user’s
country. To ensure the timely arrival of the APCs,
we had to bring them into the country by air,
thereby incurring additional expenses in the
process.
The Presidency has been very helpful in facilitating
the issuance of the security clearances and we are
happy to state that with the personal intervention
of President Goodluck Jonathan, we even got a
duty waiver. The APCs are right in the country and
will be deployed as soon as we complete all
documentation and formalities. Apart from the
APCs, we indeed purchased other security
equipment that cannot be detailed here. It is
important to note that in all of these, we have not
touched the money in the coffers of the Security
Trust Fund which we set up last year.
The state government therefore considers it
mischievous and reckless for Mr. Olusoga or any
member of the Bankers’ Forum to claim or create
the impression that we are not doing anything to
put necessary security measures in place. While
not making excuses, it should be noted that bank
robbery and other security challenges are not
peculiar to Ogun State.
We appeal to the people of our dear state not to
entertain fear as a result of the statement made by
the Bankers’ Forum. The Forum appears not to
appreciate the elaborate arrangements the
government has put in place, or rather, the body is
acting under other influences in a move to discredit
the government. We promise all stakeholders in
Ogun State that we will continue to do our best.
Signed
Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa
Secretary to State Government.
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Is this SSG crazy or what?
Does he know how much a bank loses for closing up shop for a day?
What will they be blackmailing him for?
Is he aware of how many staff that have lost their lives in these attacks in Ijebu and environs?
I personally know a HBO of one of the branches whose bowels were spilled in the banking hall by theses servants from hell, after first of all razing down the rag tag police station nearby!

The state Govt should just wake up to their responsibilities and stop this politicizing of human lives.

Hausa Fulanis are really claiming their territory, so the have graduated from sacking villages to corporate bodies like banks. They will soon sack governor Amuson . I dey laughooo
OBJ I hope you are still laughing

Can they just go cashless !!

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The spate of robbery in Ogun state has become intimidating. What are the security agencies doing in that state.

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Day lectures: 09:00 - 14:00 GMT
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==============================

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The "State Security Vote" is the grand name assigned to that huge budgetary allocation from which Nigerian state governors traditionally fund the acquisition of new luxury homes in the ritzier neighborhoods of London and Dubai, thus "securing" more assets for their real estate portfolios.

Those unpatriotic bank operators, who slammed their doors shut to customers because of their own misguided expectation that that the Security Vote fund could ever be wasted on police equipment needed to protect banks, should all be flogged in public as a lesson to other disgruntled elements and enemies of progress who are all hellbent on cramping their state governor's style.

Banks in Nigeria can close their doors till hell freezes over, just as long as they realize that His Excellency only requires the services of bank offices in Heathrow Airport and The West End.

Praise the Lord !

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/03/ogun-residents-in-financial-mess-as-banks-shut-doors-indefinitely/

See, this is why I wonder why more are not in support of state police. What exactly is the state governor supposed to do, given that he doesn't control the police in his state?

If the FG doesn't provide adequate security, unfortunately I am not sure what the alternative is aside from banks hiring their own private security outfits or something..

This whole thing annoys the hell out of me. Well, many things in Ogun State do for that matter, but this is just the latest..

Gov Amosun is the worst governor in Nigeria presently.
Busy chasing his predecessor around.

This man needs to refund his security votes if
he can't guarantee safety of lives and property in Ogun.