We’ve No plan To Shut Down Operations – Banks

Nigeria banks have debunked the rumour spreading across over planned to shut down operations as general elections drawing closer.

The banks said there is no iota of truth in the reports flying in the social media that their workers are shutting down services for the general elections slated for Saturday, February 25, 2023.

The banks under the aegis of the Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB), disclosed this on Tuesday, February 22, 2023.

Recently, there have been some trending messages suggesting that commercial banks will shut down its services to avoid further attacks from bank customers.

For instance, some trending videos on the social media revealed how bank customers experience pains in the name of accessing Naira notes.

One of such videos was that of some bank customers who had to access the banking hall of a branch of Access Bank by jumping through the window but iit could not be ascertained if this really paved way for tjem.

To minimise such situation, ACAMB in a statement on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, said banks will not not shit down their services to ensure a hitch free election.

ACAMB President, Rasheed Bolarinwa, said the messages were concocted by faceless authors.

The motive, he stated, was to cause disaffection among Nigerians and the Deposit Monetary Banks (DMBs).

“The attention of the Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB), the umbrella body of Corporate and Marketing Communications Professionals working in Nigeria’s banking sector, has been drawn to the trending social media message purporting that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was shutting down banking services for five days from Thursday, 23rd to Monday 27th February 2023 because of the general elections holding in Nigeria over next two weekends,” the statement stated.

“ACAMB hereby wishes to debunk the fake news in its entirety and wishes to assure Nigerians and the banking public that there is no iota of truth in the viral message that is being circulated. Up until this moment, no Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) or other institutions providing financial services have received any directive or communication from the CBN to close the doors of their physical banking halls or shut their digital platforms and online banking channels against their customers because of elections.

ACAMB further wishes to assure customers that their respective banks have put in place measures to ensure that depositors can as usual, access money in their accounts during this period.

“Also, customers who wish to carry out transfers or use electronic banking services will have unhindered access to these services before, during, and after the elections.

“ACAMB urges Nigerians not to panic and to also avoid uncontrolled spending as a result of the fake news about the alleged plan to shut down bank branches and all digital banking channels.  Members of the public should discountenance the trending message maliciously concocted by its faceless authors to cause disaffection among the citizenry and the DMBs.

“ACAMB calls on Nigerians to be peaceful and orderly during the elections and wishes the nation successful conduct of free, fair, and credible elections.”