Workers Paralyse Activities At GT Bank

Public servants in Ondo State last  Tuesday, disrupted banking activities at the Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Alagbaka branch over the alleged withholding of substantial amount of money meant for the purpose of paying workers salaries and other emoluments.

In a statement issued by the Ondo State Chairman of Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) Comrade Oluwole Adeleye said the JNC had moved into the matter with a view of amicably resolving the issue between the bank and the workers.

He said some public servants in 2008 took loan from the bank, stressing that the loans were said to have been guaranteed by the State government in agreement with the union.

He said when the government sent vouchers for payment of workers’ leave bonus to the bank, the bank refused to pay because some workers were indebted to the financial institution over the loans.

The union leader said the withholding of the sum of N706 million  that was deposited by the State government in the state Matter Account was provocative.

The statement urged the bank to release the money and deal with the selected few that had refused to repay the loans.

He said the union would assist the bank to recover the loans when the bank compiled the list of all workers that were yet to pay back the loan.

But GT  Bank in a statement maintained that the state government had guaranteed a facility to a related party in 2008 and the bank only exercised its rights under the terms of the agreement by setting off outstanding sums of money against the state government funds with the bank.

The bank denied holding on to any civil servant’s remunerations, adding that the bank acted in conformity with the highest corporate governance standards in a professional and transparent manner.