Banking institutions were on Monday tasked to beef up security in and round their premises to curb the upsurge of armed robbery. Mr. Justice Cudjoe, District Chief Executive of Ketu South further urged banking institutions to take steps to protect customers from being robbed. The advice comes in the wake of the latest bank robbery which took place at Madina in Accra barely a fortnight ago. Mr Cudjoe gave the advice at the inauguration of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Ghana Limited at Aflao in the Volta Region. The opening of the Aflao branch brings to 16, the total number of branches established since 2005 when the bank entered the banking sector in the country. UBA, one of West Africa’s largest financial services group with assets in excess of 14 billion US dollars now boast of six million customers across the sub-region. The DCE recounted the stiff competition in the banking sector in ensuring the growth of several companies established by groups and individuals and encouraged them to come out with more innovations to retain and attract more customers. Mr. Cudjoe expressed delight that the UBA selected Aflao as the first district in the region to commence business and assured them of mutual cooperation between the bank and the assembly, adding; “we would ensure that the bank operates in a congenial environment.” The DCE announced that in August 1, this year, President John Agyekum Kufuor would cut the sod to commence the construction of the Aflao/Akatsi and Akasti/Dzodze roads. He appealed to the communities whose buildings would be demolished during the exercise to bear with the contractor to ensure smooth work. Togbui Amenya Fiti V, Paramount Chief of Aflao Traditional area, called on the bank to be committed to providing first class customer services and ensure that staff was motivated to carry out the bank’s mandate. Togbui Fiti also asked the bank to provide import and export financial services as well as business advisory services to enable the bank to achieve its mission of “democratizing” banking services in the country. “The Aflao community of ours is one that improves from generation to generation and the UBA management will never regret investing here,” he remarked. Mr Nnamdi Okonkwo, Managing Director, UBA, Ghana Limited said the opening of the Aflao branch was significant and an important landmark event in the history of UBA Ghana. According to him, the move was also in line with the bank’s commitment to build an African global bank. The Managing Director said the bank had developed an international money transfer product known as the “Afritrade” which would facilitate the transfer of money in Africa. He encouraged salaried workers and working professionals to take advantage of the banks “No Wahala Loan, Executive Loans and Special Overdrafts,” which they could spend and pay later. He said the bank was an active participant in the recently introduced National Payment System known as the E-zwich, saying with E-zwich smart card their customers could transact business from any location. Source: GNA