The management of Oceanic Bank International Plc has implemented an across-the-board salary cut that will further streamline its cost profit and further enhance its drive for operational efficiency. It also refutted reports that the bank has done another round of staff disengagement.

This strategy was adopted following a meeting in which the bank’s executive and senior management unanimously agreed to this unprecedented sacrifice in order to hasten the recovery pace of the bank.

 The details of the salary cut include: 15-20 per cent for senior management and 22.5-35 per cent for executive directors and managing directors / chief executive officer.

According to John Aboh, Group Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer, Oceanic Bank International Plc, the development is a clear demonstration of the commitment of the workforce to the robust recovery plan unveiled by management.

 Aboh said the management places high premium on operational efficiency as a vehicle for building the bank’s capacity for suitable and consistent profitability. “For us as employees, it is a necessary sacrifice we have made to ensure a better future for our bank and its numerous customers and shareholders. We have critically examined the cost of running the bank against our sustainable revenue base and we realised that the cost is over bloated. The zeal to return the bank to wining ways is a shared vision by all the staff and this has been the driving force for management.

The Oceanic Bank boss explained that prior to the bank’s staff rationalisation exercise, the bank was expending over N4 billion monthly on salaries and wages to a workforce of over 20,000 people.

 “We had to implement the painful process of staff rationalisation to stream line the workforce along the line of the current business realities otherwise we will be deploying depositors, funds to sustain the bloated workforce. The vision we have is to grow the business to ensure consistent value creation for our customers and shareholders,” he added.

Meanwhile, Aboh, in response to reports on alleged sack of staff, this year said, “I urged our esteemed customers, shareholders and the entire banking public to disregard such reports. Oceanic Bank is making steady progress with its recovery efforts and the trends before us show promising prospects and enhanced value creation for all stakeholders.”

 The drive for operational efficiency will also see the bank streamline its subsidiaries and branches to enhance its overall competitiveness and profitability.