Yemisi Izuora
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo, has appealed with money deposit banks and other financial institutions to assist the government’s efforts in preventing the spread of COVID-19 among Nigerians by opening up all their branches to customers.
There had been recent evidence that social distancing and strict use of face masks were jettisoned as customers trooped to banking premises to access financial services following the partial easing of the lockdown while banks limited their operations to a few branches after the lockdown.
Speaking at the weekly briefing of the Emergency Operation Centre of the Committee on Sustainable Production and Delivery of Essential Commodities During COVID-19, the minister said the troubling situation could have been avoided if the banks open up all their branches for operation.
He said until banks and other financial institutions opened up all their branches, the chaotic scenes observed around banks’ premises could pose severe danger of infection of COVID-19 as well as compromise measures to tackle the spread.
Adebayo, however, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of security agencies in carrying out their duties by ensuring that President Muhammadu Buhari’s call for a “free-flow and unhindered movement of foods, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and other essential commodities across the country” was complied with.