Access Bank Plc on Monday backtracked on its earlier muted plan to sack 75 per cent of its workforce and as well close over 300 branches nationwide due to the Covid-19 crisis.
The New Diplomat reports that the Managing Director of Access Bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe was heard discussing the planned mass rentrenchment of staff with top management staff of the bank in a viral podcast leaked online.
The move has since been criticized as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Sunday blocked Access Bank and other banks across the country from sacking their workers.
The apex bank in a statement issued by its Director of Corporate Communications, Mr. Isaac Okoroafor disclosed that the decision to arrest growing plans or moves by banks to lay-off bank workers was reached after a special meeting of the Bankers’ Committee.
Following the CBN’s intervention and widespread criticism, the bank on Monday denied the planned sack in a statement signed by Mr Sunday Ekwochi, its Company Secretary, posted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) website.
It said the closure of a bank branch was an action that required the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
According to the bank, it has not applied for nor obtained the approval of CBN for the closure of its branches as widely speculated.
“The bank has only suspended operations in some branches following the directive by the CBN.
“At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, we suspended in-branch operations at different locations as directed by the CBN and in line with business continuity plans at vulnerable spots; whilst we continued to provide services through our alternative digital platforms.
“In line with the phased re-opening of the economy effective May 4, following the Presidential directives, we will be resuming in-branch services in some of our affected branches in a programmed manner to ensure the health and safety of our employees and customers.
“This is also necessary to provide relevant contingency should there be any incident arising from the pandemic.
“We deny in its entirety the baseless and twisted speculation that the bank is sacking 75 per cent of its workforce,” said the statement.
It noted that based on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, not all its branches would be fully open for in-branch services until later in the year.
“This has made it impossible for many of our outsourced workers to perform duties as usual.
“We have commenced engagement with various stakeholders with a view to ensuring that they provide the relevant services and optimum manpower as may be required by the bank on an on-going basis,” it added.
The bank, however, assured its esteemed stakeholders that it would continue to ensure that its actions and decisions are guided by fairness, justice, equity and good conscience.
