Access Bank Plc has denied plans to sack 75 per cent of its workforce and close over 300 branches.
The bank debunked the rumours in a statement on Monday signed by its secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, and posted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) website.
The statement said the bank did not apply for nor obtained the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (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,” it said.
“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.”
The bank, however, noted that based on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, not all its branches would be fully open for in-branch services until later in the year.
It also assured its stakeholders that it would ensure that its actions and decisions are guided by “fairness, justice, equity and good conscience.”
