Banks to offer skeletal services despite restrictions, says CBN

Despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s directives restricting movement in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja to curb spread of the coronavirus,  Banks and other financial services providers are exempted to offer some skeletal services.

This was disclosed in a joint statement signed by the Director, Corporate Communications of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on behalf of the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed and the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

These exemptions were gotten in order to ensure that Nigerians can still perform online transactions and use their ATMs while still observing the restriction order announced by the president.

The restrictions, according to the two top government officials are critical in helping to significantly reduce the transmission rate of the coronavirus disease and make it much easier for the health professionals to trace, test and isolate patients. They appreciated and applauded the president for the announcement.

In the statement, they said, “To ensure that Nigerians can still perform online transactions and use ATMs whilst observing these restrictions, we will like to inform the general public and all affected stakeholders that we have obtained exemptions from the President to allow very skeletal operations in the Financial System and Money Markets in order to keep the system in light operations during this time’.

“To this end, all relevant staff of affected outfits and agencies should look out for further instructions from their immediate bosses. We are mindful of the difficulties these restrictions would bring on ordinary Nigerians and are grateful to the President for approving these exemptions, which should help ease some of these burdens. We urge all Nigerians to be patient, cooperative and united as all hands are on deck to defeat the virus.”

It could be recalled that in a televised broadcast yesterday evening, President Muhammadu Buhari announced movement restrictions in Lagos State, Ogun State and the Federal Capital Territory as part of the measures to curtail the rapid spread of the coronavirus disease.