By Brima Sannoh
As the festive season fast approaches, customers at various banks across Sierra Leone are facing challenge in accessing cash, with long queues and extended waiting hours becoming increasingly common.
For residents of districts like Pujehun, the experience is at another level. On Sunday, dozens of customers were lined up from inside Rokel Commercial Bank, the only bank in Pujehun Town, hoping to withdraw money for the holidays. Many said they arrived as early as 7am, and they had to endure hours of waiting under difficult conditions.
One customer, Brima Kebbie, described the experience as stressful.
“I came very early because of the festive season, but the queue is too long and the process is slow,” he told ManoReporters. “It is frustrating, especially when you have other responsibilities,” he added.
Another customer, Jattu Karim, a fairly aged woman, also shared her frustration. “At my age, standing for this long is very difficult. We just want to collect our own money to prepare for the holidays. This is not easy for us,” she lamented.
Access to banking services is a major huddle for Sierra Leoneans generally all year round. But it gets more frustrating during festivities like this. The whole of Pujehun district of a population of 435,000 people, according to the 2021 MidTerm Population Census, has access to only two banks – one in the headquarters town and the other in Sahn Malen.
Responding to the concerns, officials of Rokel Commercial Bank in Pujehun Town said they were doing everything possible to serve each and every customer, despite the high turnout. He said they encouraged customers to exercise restraint and patience, noting that the festive season usually comes with increased pressure on banking services.
The bank officials warned that long queues are expected throughout the week, as many customers have urgent financial needs ahead of the celebrations.
For now, customers continue to wait in hope that services will improve as banks work to manage the seasonal surge in demand.
