Banks, filling stations shut down operations till after Strike

Economic activities in most parts of the country were paralysed on Monday as majority of banks and filling stations did not open for business following the general strike called by organised labour in protest against the removal of subsidy on petrol.

Although, some banks and filling stations opened for business in some parts of the country, activities were largely limited as most of them closed their doors to customers.

Bank branches visited by our correspondents in Lagos and Abuja included those of United Bank for Africa Plc, Unity Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, First City Monument Bank Plc and Oceanic Bank International Plc.

Others are Intercontinental Bank Plc, Keystone Bank Limited, Skye Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, Aso Savings and Loans Plc and some microfinance banks.

Also visited were filling stations belonging to Oando, Capital Oil, Mobil, Total and Conoil.

In Lagos, all the banks and filling stations were under lock and key as the strike recorded total compliance, though some senior officials were seen at the various bank headquarters, especially those on Lagos Island.

Some of the officials told one of our correspondents that they were at work for strategic reasons.

Desperate bank customers resorted to making cash withdrawals from Automated Teller Machines.

However, at some ATM points, customers were stranded as the machines did not dispense cash, while the functioning ATMs recorded large influx of bank customers.

In Abuja, some of the banks, which dared to open, incurred the wrath of officials of the National Union of Banks, Insurance and other Financial Institution Employees, who had earlier endorsed the strike action.

The NUBUFIE team, led by a man simply identified as Comrade Aliyu of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, made sure that all the banks complied with the strike directive.

For instance, the enforcement team stormed the Abuja Regional Office of Fidelity Bank Plc at about 12pm to picket it because banking operations were ongoing.

The team had demanded total compliance with the strike action by asking all the bank workers to either close and go home or join the protest.

Labour officials, who were prevented from gaining access into the premises of the bank, were, however, pacified by an unidentified senior official of the bank.

Moments later, some of the bank workers were seen driving out of the premises.

The same scenario played out at Aso Savings and Loans Plc.

However, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation shunned the strike action as they carried on with their normal operations.

A top official of the apex bank, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said that it would not be in the best interest of the country for the apex bank to shut down its operations as a result of the