Ondo Community Begs First Bank to Reopen Seven-Year-Old Shuttered Branch

The people of Ido-Ani, located in the Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, have issued a heartfelt plea to the management of First Bank of Nigeria. They are urgently requesting the reopening of the bank's local branch, which has been non-operational for seven years following a devastating armed robbery incident that occurred in April 2019.

During the 2019 attack, assailants reportedly made away with an undisclosed sum of money from the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and tragically claimed the lives of at least six individuals, including a police officer and a school vice-principal. Law enforcement, in collaboration with military personnel, later apprehended one of the perpetrators.

Speaking on behalf of the community's concerned indigenes and residents, Mr. Steve Otaloro, a prominent community leader and former chairman of the Irekari Local Council Development Area, called on the bank to resume its services in Ido-Ani. In a statement released on Monday, Otaloro described the prolonged closure as being at odds with the enduring legacy of Chief Samuel Asabia, First Bank's inaugural indigenous Managing Director. He emphasized that restoring banking operations to the historically significant town would not only revitalize its economic landscape but also serve as a fitting honour to one of Nigeria's banking pioneers.

According to Otaloro, the Ido-Ani branch of First Bank was established in the 1980s during Chief Asabia's tenure. He stated, “While there is no public evidence that the branch was established solely because it was Asabia’s hometown, its establishment during his tenure remains historically significant and symbolises the philosophy of taking banking services to the grassroots."

Otaloro further highlighted the bank's significant investment in the community, noting: “Unlike many rural branches that began operations in rented buildings, First Bank invested heavily in Ido-Ani by constructing a purpose-built banking hall as well as an official residence for the branch manager, demonstrating the bank’s long-term commitment to the community." He added that for decades, this branch served as the primary financial hub for surrounding communities such as Idogun, Imeri, Owani, Afo, Ikun, and Oba.

Moreover, the branch was crucial for the banking needs of key institutions like the Federal Government College, Ido-Ani, and the Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Imeri. It also provided essential services to a wide array of residents, including farmers, traders, artisans, transport operators, cooperative societies, public servants, and various business owners across the region.

The community leader lamented that the closure has compelled residents and business owners to undertake arduous journeys to distant locations for their banking transactions. Consequently, many now depend on Point-of-Sale (PoS) operators for services that the bank previously offered.

Mr. Otaloro urged the current leadership of First Bank to re-evaluate the decision made by previous administrations. He stressed that the present leadership would be judged by history, not just for the decisions inherited, but also for their courage to reverse them. He concluded with a poignant appeal: “The present management may not have ordered the closure of the Ido-Ani branch, but history will remember whether it had the vision to restore it. There is still time for First Bank to return to the historic town of Ido-Ani, where its first indigenous Managing Director, Chief Samuel Oyewole Asabia, began his remarkable journey and now rests. Reopening the branch would be a fitting tribute to the doyen of Nigerian banking and a practical demonstration that the bank remains committed to the ideals of rural banking and financial inclusion that he championed.”