Bankers have fallen on hard times in Lagos. Have you not noticed the change in disposition of those of them that survived the banking sector shake-up and the down-sizing that followed? Since the Central Bank shake-up inspired by its no-nonsense Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the industry has gone through a radical transformation. Nowhere is the clean-up more evident than in banking halls, in the restrained demeanour of previously stuck-up bankers. A closer look reveals a new order, especially in places like Victoria Island where most of the banks are located.
The once frenzied atmosphere has given way to the tranquil, Catholic outlook that characterised the banking system of old. Gone are the pre-Sanusi years when bankers were almost in competition with movie stars and supermodels, and were seen fussing around the place busy doing nothing. The customer service desk has also become friendlier compared to the years when arrogant officers treated their customers with disdain. There was a time when customer service officers waved off enquiries from customers as if doing them a favour. The ‘VIP treatment' was reserved for the ‘big boys' who offered extra tips to the officer-bankers, whose trendy looks were obscenely expensive, compared to their take home pay.
Those were the days when the banking institution rivalled politicians in corrupt and sharp practices; when there was no secrecy and account details were available even to junior staff. But recently when I walked into the branch of a bank, I was met by fawning customer service officers. The banking hall had an eerie silence, devoid of the chaotic pre-Sanusi years. Behind those smiling faces that welcome you into banks, you can now feel the fear of the unknown in the air. Young, grim-looking bankers sit behind workstations in dull suits that remind you of pall-bearers. Except for the humming air conditioners, the atmosphere is modestly subdued.
At another time, I walked into my bank to demand for an ATM card that was taking too long to be issued. I was met by a team of obsequious and cheery officers who took their time to explain the reasons why my card took that long to be issued. At the far end of the hall, the branch manager was seen pacifying agitated customers. One of them threatened to withdraw his deposit for what he considered the bank's shoddy and slow process. The manager was at her wits' end. She pleaded for understanding while raging at the top of her voice at bewildered and over-worked tellers, peering nervously into computers. Where has the old swagger gone?
At the Ozumba Mbadiwe headquarters of a popular bank, which years ago saw bankers massed outside the building in large numbers during lunch hour, the crowd of workers has disappeared. The place is now a ghost of itself! Last week when another tsunami hit the troubled industry, I saw bankers running helter-skelter in my branch trying to make sense of the new situation.
But they had it coming. Just a few years ago, the going was good and banks declared incredible profits and their fraudulent executives popped champagne with our money and rocked the Lagos social scene. But a new pharaoh appeared on the scene. However, it is the ‘small boys' that are now getting sacked, having their salaries slashed or deducted at will. They are paying for the sins of greedy executives who are either on the run, in jail or being prosecuted.
Now tell me: is it still fashionable to work in a bank?
Written By Bayo Olupohunda
Source: 234next.
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