Access Bank Ignores CBN Directive, Fires Staff In Oyo Branch

A man, whose wife worked for a branch of the bank in Oyo State for eight years and got retrenched, told SaharaReporters that the move was contrary to the decision of the CBN. Despite an agreement by the Central Bank of Nigeria and Bankers Committee to suspend the lay-offs in banks across the country due to the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Access Bank has continued to dismiss its staff.

A man, whose wife worked for a branch of the bank in Oyo State for eight years and got retrenched, told SaharaReporters that the move was contrary to the decision of the CBN. He said, "My wife was let go by Access Bank and from all indications, the bank is trying to override CBN's directive to suspend the letting go of staff.

"This woman worked very hard, in the rain and sun for eight years. She has been crying uncontrollably and I'm worried because she just put to bed.

"When she went to work yesterday, she was asked to leave the environment and her ID was forcefully collected. She was also not given an exit for to sign."

The bank’s GMD/CEO, Herbert Wigwe, on April 30, told shareholders at the Annual General Meeting that, "Access Bank was well prepared for COVID-19 early enough and created ways of working from home and working with our customers.

"We set up links with our customers and devised ways of reaching out to them three or four times a day.

"This happened even before we started working with the larger society and it enabled us to start fighting this pandemic.”

But days later, the bank began to let go of its staff without warning.