The federal government has said the fight against the spread of COVID-19 infection would be more meaningful if commercial banks and other financial institutions opened more operational branches to allow customers have access to do their daily transactions.
The call comes on the heels of the unwieldy queues of customers being witnessed in banks’ at premises nationwide, following the easing of lockdown order given by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Richard Adeniyi Adebayo, made this known yesterday, at the weekly briefing of the Emergency Operation Centre of the Committee on Sustainable Production and Delivery of Essential Commodities During COVID-19 in Abuja.AdvertisementAdvertisement
Adebayo said: ‘’Until banks and other commercial institutions opened up all its branches, the horrible scenes observed around the banks’ premises in the last few days could pose severe danger of infection for COVID-19 as well as compromising measures put in place to tackle the spread of the Pandemic.”
He warned that the administration is working round the clock to ensure that any bank that further violates government’s directive on social distancing will face the wrath of the law.
The Minister, however, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of security agencies in carrying out their duties by ensuring that the presidential directives on free-flow and unhindered movement of food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipments and other essential commodities across the country are complied with.
He also used the occasion to commend President Buhari for appointing Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, as the supervisor of the Emergency Operation Centre as the Leader of the Presidential Delegation to Tackle COVID-19 in Kano State.
Source: Guardian