Bank workers begin strike over robbers’ seige in Ogun

Abeokuta – Bank workers in the Ogun-East Senatorial District of Ogun are to commence an indefinite strike as from Thursday, an official said on Wednesday in Abeokuta.

Mr Olusegun Olusola, the Chairman, Ijebuland Bankers’ Forum, told a press conference in Abeokuta that the strike was to protest the failure of the state government to deliver on its promise.

The state government had promised to provide Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to forestall incessant robbery attacks on banks in the area.

The Ogun-East Senatorial District consists of nine of the 20 local governments areas in the state.

The Chairman then directed all bank workers in the area to stay away from work until further notice, adding that no skeletal service should be provided.

He also said that there should be no loading of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) by any bank.

Olusola noted that any robbery attack arising as a result of culpability of any bank shall be viewed as a connivance with robbers.

“The Forum shall not defend or issue any statement to absolve any bank official who out of his carelessness allows his bank to be robbed through skeletal service rendered,’’ he said.

He said the directive would be in force until the government met their demands on security issues.

The bank workers’ union official said the union and its members regretted possible hardship their action might bring on members of the public.

He, however, called upon well-meaning residents of the state to prevail on the government to respond urgently to the security challenges facing banks in the area.

Bank workers in the state under the aegis of Ogun State Bankers Forum had on Monday met with representatives of the state government.

They had at the meeting registered their displeasure over what they described as insensitivity of government to the insecurity challenges facing banks in the state, particularly in the Ijebuland areas.

At the meeting, the bank workers decried the failure of the state government to deliver on its promise to beef up security around the banks through the purchase of APCs.

Ogun government, however, stated that payments have been made for the purchase of the APCs, and that they would soon be delivered to the state.(NAN)