60 Eco Bank staff protest over sack, calls for government intervention

About 60 of Kaduna Eco Bank staff, on Monday took to the street to protest what they termed “unjust sack” and called for government intervention.

The Northern Coordinator for the retrenched staff, Muhammad Yashe, told our correspondent that the protest was held in Kaduna in order to show their grievances.

Yashe said that about 60 staff members in Kaduna and about 920 staff nationwide were retrenched by Eco Bank.

He said that the staff retrenchment was uncalled for at this critical time of economic hardship, appealing to the government and labour unions to assist in compelling the management of the bank to pay them their dues in full.

“The disengagement of staff last week by Eco bank is uncalled for. Some of us have spent over 20 years working with the bank, at the end they sack us without even paying us our entitlements in full.

“Some of us were given meager amount after retrenchment, that amount can’t even sustain or enable us establish a business which we can continue to build our lives on.

“We are calling on the government and labour union to intervene. We will continue to push for our right, I have served the bank for 12 years but no penny was ever given to me for leave allowance while I was in service.

“Other entitlements were also never paid to us, but we never complained, at the end they sack us without paying us our entitlements. I am appealing to the government and labour unions to help us fight for our right.

Also speaking, Mr Yusuf Ataguba, who is also an affected staff, said that Eco Bank has robbed him.

“I have worked for over 20 years with this bank, I dedicated my youthful age working with them only for them to retrench us without pre-information, this is robbery.

“I am appealing to the bank to pay us our full severance without delay, that is why we came out to protest and tell the world to come to our aid.

“We want the world to know and we want the National Assembly to come to our aid.

“The National Assembly should review the labour laws where needed in order to safeguard its citizens against unlawful acts by employers.

“We are appealing to the government to help compel Eco Bank to pay us our full dues or we shall continue to seek other redress where necessary.”

Mr Francis Omomiko, another protester, told our correspondent that he had worked for Eco Bank for about 10 years with his disability only for them to sack him after all the struggles without paying his entitlements fully.

“I was only given about N250,000, which is not up to what I am supposed to be given, I have nobody to speak for me but I am appealing to the government to come to our aid.

“If they pay me my full entitlements, I do not wish to work with them anymore even if they reverse their action, I have gotten enough of the slavery,” Omomiko said.

Our correspondent reports that all efforts to get reaction from the management of the bank at the Kaduna Headquarters proved abortive.

It was reported that Eco Bank had on July 11, denied sacking its members of staff.