Angry Customers Storm Bayba Westfield Branch
Wednesday 26th March 2008

By Soury Camara

Some members of the public believed to be customers of Bayba Financial services yesterday stormed the money transfer office located at Westfield. The apparently desperate and angry-looking customers were reported to have been enraged by an undue delay in the receipt of monies remitted to them from abroad by relatives and friends.

Following an investigation mounted by this reporter from a rowdy melee of customers screaming their displeasure over how unfairly the money transfer bureau had been treating them, one protester after another complained that Bayba had already received their money but has in turn failed in paying out to customers. Some expressed the fear that the bureau does not have sufficient funds to pay their customers, consequently leading to late payments.

In a bid to get the official version of the problem, this reporter tracked down the Branch Supervisor in the office. The Supervisor posited that they had already sent for money to be able to make payments but added that the money was not yet in hand. She further dismissed the allegations made against them by their clients.

Sheriff Jobe of Kotu, one of the customers, pointed out that the gravity of the situation called for intervention from the Central Bank of The Gambia. He said that much of the monies remitted from abroad are to facilitate living expenses and other family welfare matters. Mr Jobe further accused the financial bureau of gross negligence for not ensuring quick payment of customers’ monies. He warned that if Bayba fails to desist from what he called improper services by giving flimsy excuses, they risk losing the patronage of a lot of customers since they could not tolerate undue delays when they have medical bills to settle for sick people at hospital.

Mr. Jobe therefore called on the bureau to strive to maintain trust.

Mr. Nyonkoling Kuyateh, another furious customer, remonstrated with the bureau for what he termed poor services.