Simon Dornoo – GCB Boss
Some staff of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) have expressed dissatisfaction with the replacement of about 90 effective Triton Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) with NCR brands at most of the bank’s branches nationwide.
According to the staff, who pleaded anonymity, the replacement exercise was unnecessary because the Triton machines, manufactured in the US, were efficient and effective.
“Triton ATMs are far superior to the NCR machines. Triton is used all over the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America and South Africa. It has a minimum working life of 10 years,” they commented.
Alleging that some senior officials of the bank were behind the development because they would be entitled to a 10 percent commission from the number of machines to be replaced by NCR, a UK-based firm, they said 40 ATMs had been replaced in Accra.
“We cannot tell why the new chief of operations is in a rush to impress his employers for which reason he will like to hasten this exercise.”
“A unit of Triton ATM, three years ago, sold at US$19,500 but we cannot tell how much a unit of the NCR brand is going for in this particular deal.
“We have mentioned at almost all the meetings we had with our bosses on the replacement that the Triton machines do not have any problems and besides, were in perfect shape yet they did not listen to us and went ahead to seal the deal with NCR,” they explained.
They revealed that some of the Triton machines were installed about a year ago and therefore the replacement was just a ploy by their bosses to promote their parochial interests.
“Our bosses told us that the company that manufactured the Triton ATMs had folded up but this is far from the truth. The company is still in business and selling its machines worldwide. Besides, GCB is not the only bank using Triton ATMs. UBA has also been using them to date.”
The displeased workers noted that some managers at the bank’s branches, where the replacement took place, expressed shock at the development since the machines were working perfectly at the time of the replacement.
“The replacement was effected during weekends. And anyone amongst us who opposed the replacement at previous meetings was not invited to subsequent ones that took place.”
They mentioned Muniru Muktar, the bank’s head of operations and Addae Mensah, its deputy managing director in charge of operations, as the main brains behind the activity.
But the head of operations, who spoke to CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE on Monday on phone, said the replacement was necessary because the Triton ATMs were no more effective. He said 52 ATMs had been replaced.
Some of the GCB branches where the ATMs had been replaced include Ministries, Liberty House, Derby Avenue, High Street, Boundary Road, Korle Bu, Dansoman, Ring Road West, Osu and 37 Military Hospital.
The rest are Abelemkpe, Teshie Military Academy, Legon, Madina, Dome Kwabenya, Kaso Market, Tema Main, Tema market and Fishing Harbour, Winneba, Agona Swedru, Akim Oda and UCC Campus.
By Samuel Boadi
