Crime News
“GTBank Is Using Workers Salaries To Pay Loans” – Akure Workers Shut Down Bank
January 28, 2014 – “GTBank Didn’t Pay Our Salaries” – Akure Workers Close Down Bank Over Non-Payment Of Salaries
Industrial workers under the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC) Ondo State on Tuesday shut down business activities at the headquarters branch of the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) on Alagbaka Road in Akure, the state capital.
The workers, chanting solidarity songs, were protesting non-payment of their salaries. They also alleged sabotage of their efforts by the officers of the bank.
They said that GTB, without the knowledge of the state government, had withheld their salaries with the intention of using the money to defray its loans.
Many of them carried placards bearing such inscriptions as: “Enough of GTB Exploitation Antics in Ondo State”; “Workers and People of Ondo State Beware of GTB in Akure”’ “We are tired of GTB behavior”; “GTB will ruin our life in Ondo State”; and “We won’t take this no more for GTB.”
One of the protesting workers told SaharaReporters that their salaries were withheld by the bank while various unknown alerts were sent to them from the bank.
“As at now I have not received my January salary which is not supposed to be so. We learnt that GTB is planning to defraud us. They want to use our money for loans. We won’t take this from them.”
Speaking with journalists, the JNC chairman in Ondo State, Comrade Oluwole Adeleye Samuel, also alleged that the bank was trying to sabotage the workers by using their salaries for defraying loans.
“This bank without the authority of the government of Ondo State been represented by the Account General took Seven Hundred and Six Million Naira (N706.000.000.00) meant for the payment of workers salary to defray a loan.
“As a result of this our salary has not being paid. We are tired of this barbaric act of the bank. They are holding us for ransom and we won’t take it from them. I can assure you that we won’t allow any transaction to occur in this bank unless they pay our people”.
All effort by SaharaReporters to obtain the position of the Managing Director of the bank proved abortive, as staff kept mute when asked about his whereabouts.
But the Head of Operations of the bank, whose chest badge read ‘Kehinde Oyeleke,’ but who refused to mention his name to SaharaReporters, angrily declined to comment on the issue.
“I am not aware of what is happening,” he retorted. “The bank does not have issues with the workers. What sort of questions are you asking me, I just told you we don’t have issues with the bank? What do you want me to say?”
The workers vowed to continue the protest and threatened tio occupy the entire street leading to the Alagbaka branch if no positive progress was made, adding that they would not allow customers into the bank.
Meanwhile the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) of the bank have been shut down with the protesters threatening to deal with any workers of the bank who dared to attend to customers.
As of the time of this story, officers of the Ondo State Command of the Nigerian Police Force were being drafted to the scene to curtail any violence and prevent the protest from being hijacked.
[Reported by Sahara Reporters New York]
Samuel Dede
January 29, 2014 at 1:40 AM
I believe d bank is up to something bad. My junior brother didn’t get his november salary until mid january how bad
John Duke
January 29, 2014 at 2:16 AM
GTBank might go bankrupt very soon CBN has put dem in a lot of trouble with their stupid overnight policy change.
Omodara Johnson
January 29, 2014 at 2:43 AM
This is uncalled for how heartless.
GTBank has become ineffective since last year. I have closed my account there. I prefer First Bank
iron bar
January 29, 2014 at 2:43 AM
if their workers could be shortchanged.imagine what will happen to their customers when they file for bankruptsy..hope ndic is aware of his before the bank go underground
Diana
January 29, 2014 at 3:18 AM
@ironbar GTBank is using customers salaries and not their own staff
ng
January 29, 2014 at 8:19 AM
I love dis bank like ever am so suprised dis is coming up..y not borrow instead of their measures
prince kokumo
January 29, 2014 at 10:35 AM
Niger bad politics,gov(politcians)usin setled workers union to fight fo their selfis end.In dis case,workers rep is 3rd party.workers contrac is wt govt nt GTB.It has legal right tow’hold wateva moni depositd to ofset d likely bad debt owed by d gov.
parrot
January 29, 2014 at 2:09 PM
every tin in diz country is bad, 4rm lecturers collecting bribes to banks owing salaries, tell me, can anytin gud cm out of naija??
CHAcHA
January 29, 2014 at 3:17 PM
@parrot u r right no gud thing in naija especially u &ur dry brain friends
red
January 29, 2014 at 4:15 PM
Ehya,that’s not fair this people get to touch and help secure other people’s money without getting their salary..o sad and wicked
parrot
January 29, 2014 at 7:21 PM
I blame u? empty head #chacha
CHAcHA
January 30, 2014 at 3:19 PM
@parrot who wrote my name 4 u talk b4 i finish u Bush fool
tommy
January 31, 2014 at 11:22 AM
They are owning u just this January salary and u are complaining, where am working have not been paid since November,2013. We dont have closing time, we work on saturdays and we dont observe holidays,still yet they are delaying staff salaries, and they are paying just #40,000 for graduate, pls appreciate wat u have oo.