Hundreds of customers of Diamond Bank in Kano were
disappointed on Thursday when they could not withdraw money from their
accounts, the bank staff having joined their counterparts in the ongoing
nationwide strike.The Secretary to the Kano State branch of the bankers union,
Hajia Hadiza Kishimi, told reporters that Diamond Bank had remained adamantly
failed to meet workers’ demands despite the federal government’s intervention.
The striking workers described their grievances as
involving staff victimization, promotion and welfare packages the bank has
refused to address.
On
the contrary, the Regional Manager of the bank, Muhd Lawal, claimed that all of
the workers' agitations have been taken care of in the region, and appealed to
the state labour union to exempt his region from the industrial action.
But the Kano state chairman of the Nigeria Labour
Congress, Comrade Isa Dangogwa, directed that all the branches should remain
closed until the union ascertains the claims of the bank’s management. Most
of the customers of the bank we spoke with expressed their disappointment that
Diamond Bank could embark on the strike action during the Ramadan period when
many Muslims are expected to withdraw money for the celebrations.
One Alhaji Hamed Ibrahim complained that he could not
withdraw money from his deposit account. To worsen the situation, he said
that he did not use an ATM card, which would have enabled him to go to another
commercial bank to withdraw funds.
Similarly,
Mrs Bosede Ayoka, a textile materials trader who came from Ibadan in Oyo state
to purchase materials from the popular Kwanti Kwari said was confused as to
what to do.
“I
have an ATM card,” she said, “but there is no way I could withdraw a large sum
of money through an ATM machine.” She added that the little amount of
money in her possession had already been spent on food and accommodation.
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