Ololade Adeyanju/
Stanbic IBTC Bank, a member of the Standard Bank Group, has announced the commencement of skeletal operation as part of plans to safeguard the lives of its staff and customers and also prevent the spread of Covid-19.
According to a statement received by NewsmakersNG, the skeletal operation started on March 25, 2020.
Yinka Sanni, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC said the action was necessitated by the need to safeguard members of the public, given the rising number of individuals who have tested positive to Covid-19. He commended the actions taken by the government thus far, such as banning large gatherings, closure of schools and certain offices, all aimed at managing the spread of the virus.
He, however, stated that a lot more needs to be done to manage the situation given that the Covid-19 is the most serious world health emergency in a century.
The Stanbic IBTC Holdings Chief Executive said: “As a responsible corporate citizen, we will also be playing our part. Effective immediately, we will be operating skeletal services in terms of our operations. A good number of our workforce will work from home and only critical staff will be physically present at our premises and branches including head office campuses. If you already haven’t, this is the best time to switch to digital. Our full range of financial services can be accessed on our various platforms- ATM, Mobile App, Online Banking and USSD platforms. Our multi-lingual customer service lines are also available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
While some branches of Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC will be shut, customers can still make transactions in others. The bank’s branches which will remain open are located in Oba Akran, Alausa, Akoka, Surulere, Mushin and Idumagbo, Lagos State. Other Stanbic IBTC Bank branches that will remain open in Lagos are situated at Lekki Admiralty, Ikota, Ajose Adeogun, Apapa, and Satellite Town.
Selected Stanbic IBTC Branches will also remain open in the South East, South West, North Central and North West areas of Nigeria.
Bunmi Dayo-Olagunju, Executive Director, Operations, Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC, said the closure of some of the bank branches formed part of the organisation’s business continuity management plan. She further stated that the action was also taken in consideration of the health, safety, and wellbeing of staff and customers.
She added that the available bank branches would henceforth close by 3 pm daily to customers while employees will close by 4 pm.
Reassuring the customers and employees of Stanbic IBTC, Yinka Sanni said: “These are indeed trying times, but as the saying goes – Tough times never last, but tough people do. We all have to make some tough choices for the greater good. Please stay positive and most importantly, do not panic. This too shall pass. We appreciate your continued support and patronage. Your satisfaction remains our top priority. As you go about your daily activities, do continue to take appropriate safety and health precautions.”
The bank also informed its customers and those on pension scheme through text messages and e-mail notifications that the action is temporary.
One of the messages says, “Dear Client, in line with precautionary measures to curb the spread of Coronavirus, our StanbicIBTC branches are temporarily closed. Please make use of our self-service channels for your pension enquiries. You can log in to My Pension Portal via www.stanbicibtcpension.com, send an email to pensionsolution@stanbicibtc.com, text Help to 30388 or call 012716000.”
Access Bank and ECOBANK had earlier announced the closure of some branches over the coronavirus pandemic.