GTB
By Victory Oghene and Akeem Atoyebi
For a couple of weeks now, customers of Guaranty Trust Bank(GTB) have been making spirited efforts to conduct banking transactions, access their funds, and make transfer but alas, these efforts have been fruitless due to the network disruptions that accompanied the core banking applications.
Many transactions were botched as individuals and investment firms have witnessed their operations stalled.
Recall that at the beginning of this frustrating phase, GTB had notified its customers of an impending migration of its core banking application system to a new one, which would cause a temporary disruption in banking services.
According to the bank, the transition to a new and robust suite of Finacle Core Banking Application Systems commenced from Friday, October 11, 2024, and completed on Monday, October 14, 2024.
A notice issued by the bank stated that, all GTBank branches nationwide will close early to customers at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, October 11th, and will reopen at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, October 14th.
Furthermore, there will be temporary disruptions in the bank’s digital banking services for 11 hours, beginning at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 13th, and ending at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, October 14th.
Customers of the GTBank have continued to bemoan poor services weeks after the bank claimed it had completed its migration to new core banking platforms.
The customers angered by an avalanche of reasons ranging from a deluge of failed transactions to disappearing account balances. Their anger seems to come to no end as it keeps increasing by the day as customers struggle to carry out transactions on their accounts.
This is contrary to claims by the bank that the migration has been concluded and normal services have since been restored.
This development is causing anxiety and palpable apprehension among GTB customers.
Many customers have voiced their displeasure with Gtb over their unwholesome experience caused by the bank’s core banking switch.
Some of them took to social media to voice their frustrations.
For instance, Bayo Adeoye Olunla wrote on his Facebook page “GTBANK still dey fumble o! My 40k don hang since morning o!”
Responding to Bayo Adeoye Olunla’s post, Muyiwa Dare replied “I no kuku bother myself again. Na olden days method of banking I dey do now. Na inside my dross I dey keep my money now. I dey use rope tie am to my blokkos. I can’t allow GTB to send me back to Oyan when I never retire”
Mike Osagie Cerruti also replied to Bayo Adeoye Olunla’s post. He wrote
“Once a pretty brand…now a flying elephant Pathetic”
Damilola Teniola another GTB’s customer lamented. He wrote “Mine is going to be 3 weeks next week”
Tayo Olatoye a frustrated customer wrote “I have my money with them since last week”
Another GTBank customer, Oluyomi Tolulope, was demanding a refund of her money days after a failed transaction on the bank’s platform.
“I made a transfer of N300,000 from my GTBank account since on the 15th of October, 2024 but the beneficiary was not credited and I have since been debited. I have been to the bank but nothing is yet to be done about it. Please refund,” she stated in a post addressed to the Bank on X.
KingKay stated: “What @gtbank is doing can lead to loss of lives… People’s livelihoods are being withheld for weeks because they bank with GTB… Hospital bills, salaries, money for feeding… all these are being withheld for weeks because of one very stupid upgrade!!! @cenbank.”
Screenshots of customers lamenting their ordeals over GTB’s poor service on social media
Okoh Paul Okoh expressed frustration: “For your peace of mind and safety! Do boycott @gtbank and @cenbank keep ignoring walai you all will never end well! Now they have changed the name narrative.”
Another user, Mukhtharr, tweeted: “Something is wrong with GTBank. So I made a transfer to one Emmanuel, it failed but I was debited, I request a reversal and for 11 days no response. Yesterday, I got a reversal in the form of a transfer from a personal account. What’s happening? @gtbank_help.”
Joseph Akinsanya also voiced concerns: “@gtbank @cenbank I sent 10,000 on two occasions on Saturday, 19th of this month. The transaction was not successful, yet you debited me 20,000. Kindly help me out with this, I have DM’d you already”
Another @lohiii_ wrote: it’s been FIVE entire days & GTBank still hasn’t addressed/resolved this issue or even bothered to communicate with their customers. This level of negligence is beyond frustrating & completely unacceptable.
Ezra Olubi: “funny how gtbank’s online victory laps about the “successful” core banking update is very much divorced from the reality of its customers.”
Although GTBank notified its customers of the possible disruptions in services ahead of the October 11 transition to the new core banking system, its last communication on the matter was on October 16 in which it declared that all its services were fully restored.
