Source : http://www.ekekeee.com/courageous-teller-writes-access-bank-management-holds-barred-letter-read/

Good day Management, Good day my fellow Tellers.

Having sat down and pondered for a while about some trivial issues concerning tellers in this bank, I decided to break the silence, damn the consequence and speak out to save other people that are suffering and smiling. Away from the stories and now to the crux of the matter.

On the 14 April 2008, I got an employment as A TRANSACTION OFFICER with a Bank called INTERCONTINENTAL BANK PLC (IBplc). I was happy just like every other person because I saw a promising future. Time went on, policies and programmes of government and monetary agencies unfolded, the bank was later taken over by another bank called ACCESS BANK. This process brought a lot of tension among staff of IBPLC that led to more than half of the total staff of IBplc resigning their appointment as a result of the threats posed by Access Bank management.

Finally, the process of integration was concluded and then… things began to happen.

First, I discovered that as a support staff in Access bank, there won’t be any form of growth either in salary or promotion to become a core staff as it were in IBPLC.

Secondly, that you could be asked to leave the job at any slightest provocation or human error without considering your previous efforts or your outstanding performance or even the number of years you have put into the job.

Thirdly, the bank does not take responsibilities in terms of fatal injury or death as you will be referred to your employer in the case of any negative eventuality. This is unacceptable and negates world best practices.

As a human being, I take comments to be mere rumors till I have verified them, because during upbringing, my lovely parents taught me this philosophy to apply in every circumstance. The philosophy is simple, they are: (1) SEE (2) JUDGE (3) AND ACT. This philosophy is the motto of the Young Catholic Student (YCS) back then in my early school days.

Finally, I began to see things for myself in this ACCESS BANK. My first ugly encounter was during the cut over periods. I saw what I never bargained for. I don’t know of branches in other regions, but here in Abuja, it wasn’t funny, we resumed work by 7.AM and do not leave until 2.00am (midnight) this continued for weeks all in the bid to avert all the lapses caused by the process of integration.

In the normal IBPLC, compensation would have come in at least for taking risk to work till that horrible hour of the day. But to my surprise, there was no comment from any quarters, not even to show appreciation. Yes! You heard me right, there was no appreciation because going by the terms of my employment, I was to leave the office not later than the stipulated time of 6pm. We even had to come on Saturdays and Sundays to work, yet, no lunch, no allowance, no appreciation nothing.

In the course of this suffering, a meeting was scheduled for all IBPLC tellers here in Abuja, the aim of the meeting was to intimate us how we will be used In all the units of the bank e.g Funds transfer Desk, customer service, etc as against our sole responsibility which was cash management. We all thought our token salary will be increased along side, instead, it was reduced as the cash hazard allowance and monthly feeding allowance was stopped. This meeting brought sadness to the entire IBPLC tellers. Four of our colleagues were coming from Gwagwalada branch ,all of them in the same vehicle had a fatal accident. We lost two and two others survived with various degrees of injuries and were unconscious for days.

I was the first person the hospital called to inform of the accident, I quickly informed the ‘’REGIONAL OGAS’’ who were anchoring the meeting that made these fellows leave their homes to their untimely death. Finally, we all got to the hospital, in fact the mortuary to be precise, we confirmed the death of BUKOLA AREMU AND KINGSLEY EMEZIE, while the two others Ozeigbe and Ayo were still alive. To confirm the earlier rumor I heard, the ‘ogas’ started making calls, it was later I realized that the call was for immediate replacement as all the four branch tellers were all involved in the accident. As a student of Public Admin, I know it was right to quickly look for replacement. The big question is, what about the souls (dead and alive)? All that was done was to contact the company that outsourced the staff, there was no follow up whatsoever on the side of the bank who these people labored for. The matter died down, Bukky was buried on the fourth day while Kingsley was buried two weeks later. None, I mean none of Access bank staff was there to witness this. Of cause some of the branch staff were there because of the close relationship they had with their late colleagues.

Bukky and Kingsley, you both died a Hero and a Heroine, even if you were not recognized, you live on in our hearts. I say may your souls rest in peace. (Amen)

Coming back to other issues, I will be summarizing them for easy and better understanding.

Access bank is known to have a general belief of ‘empowering employees’. Now I ask, how have the tellers been empowered?

-. Is it by paying the ‘’professional staff’’ benefits and a penny is not accrued to tellers?

-. Is it by paying professional staff medical allowance while the tellers who suffer the same risk or even more with them are left at the mercy of their so called employers?

-. Is it by promoting professional staff and leaving a teller to be stagnant? In management science, stagnation is the worst form of demoralization.

-. Our female tellers are not allowed the full benefits of a nursing mother, they get half pay during their period of maternity, and are not entitled to nursing mother’s right after the completion of the three month half paid period. If I may ask, is there any difference between a female professional staff and a female support staff? Why should a fellow human be wicked to his brother and sister? Too many questions begging for answers.

If Access Bank wants me to believe they empower their employee’s then they should revisit some of the aforementioned cases.

Despite all these maltreatment, do you still expect the tellers to put in their best? Against all odds, even after putting your best into the job, the almighty ‘’professional staff’’ takes the glory. (e.g) a branch that had 5 stars in Abuja, the core staff in the branch were paid huge sums while the ‘’robot ‘’security men and tellers who were outstanding in attending to the MS were left with nothing.
Access Bank wants to be the world most respected African Bank, how will this be achieved if there is unethical discrimination among the people working in the same organization?

Now funds are being lavished on rebranding, I ask this question what is the essence of rebranding if the staff welfare is not a priority to the Bank? I was able to speak to a teller who have spent six years with Access Bank, and I could feel the pains right from his heart, he made me understand that the case was worse even before Access acquired Intercontinental Bank .What is the importance of flashy ambience if the core element (frontline staff) of the bank is unspeakable. My Grandfather had this proverb “You will be wasting your time if you are looking for clean teeth in a rotten mouth”. You can’t give what you don’t have. Why should a teller be happy in his work environment when he is not happy with the job. One may see them laughing but it’s never from their hearts.

We try to express all this maltreatment, however, when we mention it, the next thing they say is ‘resign if you are tired of the job’’. The fact that there are no jobs in Nigeria does not mean those who get partial employment should be retrogressing instead of improving in their well being. This is a typical experience of an Access Bank Teller, especially those who reside where cost of living is alarming like Abuja and PortHarcourt.

FACT YOU SHOULD RATHER CONSIDER:

1. HND is never a disease and will not make someone like me feel like a second class citizen. So whatever a Bsc holder can do in Access Bank, an HND holder will also do and even do it better, is the brain and ability that matters and not the empty certificate.

2. When there is no motivation at work place, it demoralizes the people especially at the grass root level.

3. There should be upward and downward flow of communication to know the feelings of your staff who interface the customers.

4. Adequate and enough leave days should be granted to staff so they can rest. In the days of IBPLC, it was difficult to differentiate between core staff and a support staff, leave days was 20 days for all. Then, there was no professional and non professional staff. You were either a core staff or a support staff and it was not obvious for the world to know who was who. Customers saw us all as IBPLC employees. So let’s correct this notion of professional or non professional thing.

5. There should be an avenue where you serve as a support for years and you are elevated to become a core staff too, whoever you employ no matter the pay, will know that he or she is working for something and will put in his or her best to merit that position. But If there is nothing to lose, what do you expect?

6. Even tellers employed with National Diploma should be encouraged in terms of payment review even if there won’t be promotion ,for example in GTB a teller’s salary is increased with N10,000 yearly until the 3rd or 4th year, but reverse is the case in Access bank.

7. Appreciate your employees. Whether a core staff or a support staff. It gives people that sense of belonging.

8. If you must celebrate any employee, then it is better to celebrate who ever deserves to be celebrated. I watch carefully when cakes are being baked for core staff on their birthdays, I laugh over it because it seems support staff don’t celebrate birthdays. Or perhaps they were all given birth to on a day that never exists, maybe on the 32nd of December 19xxxxxx. This is the worst form of discrimination. It is better not to do it at all than to do for some and make them feel too important.

9. Pay allowances to all employees that are exposed to the same hazard and risk irrespective of their mode of employment. Why paying medical allowance to core staff and neglecting support staff, or are tellers robots rmade by scientist that they don’t need to take care of themselves? The only thing being shared equally at the branch level in Access Bank is the yearly December Rice, please it should not just be only rice that you share using that kind of formula, extend it to other aspects. (How am I sure it will even continue this year?)

10. If you don’t show empathy to the people that are working for you, how will they show sincere empathy to customers? In Abuja, house rent is very expensive, you earn N50,000 per month and pay rent of not less than 20,000 per month, pay monthly Transport of not less than N15,000, and feed with not less than N10,000. How will the tellers and other support staff grow with this token? Where is the empathy on the part of management? All these little things make support staff to always maintain CV and they leave at any time after they feel the embarrassment and harassment is too much for them to bear.

11. Today, the bank is aiming and preaching customer retention, but have the management bothered to retain any of these tellers who put in their best? Any result driven organization is supposed to develop her employees and retain them. This can simply be referred to as moral obligation.

12. Management is made up of people with heart, in other words, empathy can be shown. The management can also decide not to take these issues seriously, one thing we must know as religious people, when God gives you wealth, money authority and power to lead and you use it to punish or maltreat people under you, that same God knows how to take it away from you and judge you after your earthly deeds. Like the bible will have it, it is easier for a camel ‘s head to pass through a niddle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of GOD. This does not mean rich men cant enter heaven, it all depends on how you use your wealth on people who do not have what you have.

13. Finally, to my dear fellow tellers, the difference between where we are now and where we all want to be is ‘’TIME AND OPPORTUNITY’’. Do not hesitate to act fast when the time comes. In other words, stay if you want to stay, walk if you need to walk and run if it become necessary for you to do so. GOD BLESS US ALL. And for the bank, if you must be the best as you desire, start with the staff (tellers and support staff) who are victims of this inequality.

Just to mention a few, there are so many acts of injustice we see on a daily basis, but I cannot put everything down in writing to express my displeasure and say all I intend to say. If Mandela never summoned courage, South Africa would not have been what it is today particularly to the black citizens.

I must also add that nobody should be held liable for this act of mine if its viewed to be negative, I should be held liable as it’s a plan I conceived and decided to send to top management to know if they are aware of all these challenges.

WARNING: No teller is expected to reply in any negative way, if you must comment, let it be genuine and no insult. But I will rather advise you do not reply so I don’t rub you into any issues. I have considered the good, the bad and the ugly expectation that may arise from this write up, do not join me if you don’t have the mind and the will to do so. “He that is down fears no fall at all”.

Thank you.

LONG LIVE ACCESS BANK PLC.
LONG LIVE THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA…
Jide Ekunseitan





NICE COURAGE jide. i feel your pains. if we all hav the same courage like you things wld be beter, but how many of us are willing to voice out our pain? rather we are ready die in silence over our pain because of bad leadership and corruption. too bad. may God deliver us all

Not surprised at the name of the writer. Even the colonialist white men confirmed that in the whole of Nigeria at that time, only people of the West never sheepishly followed, looked down when they needed to engage them or act as sissies. Bold, strong and courageous people! Naija is what it is, my only advise is to either start your own business on the side, find a better job or get the heck out of Naija to study and establish elsewhere. Naija is a joke and I only see ass lickers of the retardeen anytime the backwardness of the country is brought to light.

Am so touched and equally impressed with this write up. I love your courage. This is a frontpage write up.

Can we access bank staff contribute on this thread?

Could the moderator also move the post to the front page please?

the truth makes you free.

Here comes another bigot. What then happened to the courage of the present Westerners?

madam_oringo: Not surprised at the name of the writer. Even the colonialist white men confirmed that in the whole of Nigeria at that time, only people of the West never sheepishly followed, looked down when they needed to engage them or act as sissies. Bold, strong and courageous people! Naija is what it is, my only advise is to either start your own business on the side, find a better job or get the heck out of Naija to study and establish elsewhere. Naija is a joke and I only see ass lickers of the retardeen anytime the backwardness of the country is brought to light.

Well done Jide, I love your courage. Do not bother about whatever anyone will say about this your action. You ve fought a good fight and GOD in His infinite mercy vindicate you (ALL). Let everyone that is reading this note that ACCESS Bank can not continue maltreating everyone and think they can go score free. Be it now or latter mark my word the Bank will soon meet her own water loom except they turn a new leave on how they treat their staff both Non-professional on the Professional. The ideal of send off(sacking) staff by telling them to resign verbally is not done anywhere. Disengaging staff (especially the old Intercontinental Bank staff) wasn't the best. I was asked to leave without paying a penny without committing any offence and you think God ll keep silence on that? Let's wait and see. Once again, Jide kudos to you. Keep it up.

i hereby recommend this write up for front page immediately with alacrity

Jiggo sir...i lov ur intent cos intent is major in all we do in life since that is the ist thing God checks b4 judgin our actions.courageous positiv intent of voicin out d minuses going on can only be done by a rare few and one thing about the courageous is that they "NEVER DIE" telling the truth else would be lifted.i see this rare bold act of ur positive intent for the liberation of many in acess bank as catapult to ur destined position.Though there mit be little setbacks in standing out alone but i tell u sir,d long run is positive testimonies all because d intent is RIGHT! WE STRONGLY BLIV IN YOU sir.

sholesky

nice writeup bro, i admire ur guts

madam_oringo: Not surprised at the name of the writer. Even the colonialist white men confirmed that in the whole of Nigeria at that time, only people of the West never sheepishly followed, looked down when they needed to engage them or act as sissies. Bold, strong and courageous people! Naija is what it is, my only advise is to either start your own business on the side, find a better job or get the heck out of Naija to study and establish elsewhere. Naija is a joke and I only see ass lickers of the retardeen anytime the backwardness of the country is brought to light.

You just couldn't help reading the article through your ethnic tinted shades.People like you are the reason the overall IQ of this site has gone down.

@writer I hope you move on to pastures new, someone as articulate and intelligent as you are do not deserve to be a workhorse in such horrible environment.It seems to me the management are going out of their way to ensure they force a resignation from the "unproffesional" staff so they forfiet any severance package they would pay if it was an outright sack.Am considering terminating My account with the bank,I don't want to be associated with such a dirty institution.

madam_oringo: Not surprised at the name of the writer. Even the colonialist white men confirmed that in the whole of Nigeria at that time, only people of the West never sheepishly followed, looked down when they needed to engage them or act as sissies. Bold, strong and courageous people! Naija is what it is, my only advise is to either start your own business on the side, find a better job or get the heck out of Naija to study and establish elsewhere. Naija is a joke and I only see ass lickers of the retardeen anytime the backwardness of the country is brought to light.

I beg you in the name of God!! Do not derail this thread with your tribalistic mindset!! Must we see everything only through our tribal prism? SMH for some people

Moderators this is a frontpage material kindly move it to front page

I don't understand how anyone could work from 7am to 2am, is that a sick joke or what
If what the writer wrote is true,methinks the bank simply wants them to go via frustration.

chukwudi44: Moderators this is a frontpage material kindly move it to front page

in what essence?

pendusky:
in what essence?

Are you seriously kidding me? I guess you are part of access bank's management,sorri ur a*ss is about to be exposed

Jide 7 bomb salute 4 u....Even if d worst happenz ur courageous act will live in d many mindz of ur oda colleaguez...

trix!:


While I empathize with you, I must also point out that you are NOT a staff of Access bank. Access bank has outsourced security guards and transaction officers to other firms, and they pay lump sums to these other firms.
Its your parent company that is ment to grant you all these benefits. When you are due for leave, your parent company is supposed to send a replacement for you to access bank.
What's on your letter of employment? Does it carry Access bank letterhead? Was it signed by HR of Access bank?

I onced worked in a company were d outsourced security were poorly paid buh as an organisation wiv human face d HR made a policy wer dis men culd b paid xtra allowance frm d coy purse..
Blive mii u re 1 of doz staff dat molest its "unproffesional staff"

trix!:


While I empathize with you, I must also point out that you are NOT a staff of Access bank. Access bank has outsourced security guards and transaction officers to other firms, and they pay lump sums to these other firms.
Its your parent company that is ment to grant you all these benefits. When you are due for leave, your parent company is supposed to send a replacement for you to access bank.
What's on your letter of employment? Does it carry Access bank letterhead? Was it signed by HR of Access bank?

....Because, they were outsourced, they should die a slave?

Get knowledge bro, its a man-eat-man-world!
Who says the management are not part of these in-human treatments? Who says Access can't make their case better? With all the profit made, why should a bank like access be recruiting contract staff?

Your outsourced staff can close up your business in one swoop, why not make their condition better and make them happy?

Things got to be better bro and the stand of access can't be justified whatsoever!!

Wait, are you part of access bank management? You be professional staff for access? You a.ss is about to be whooped bro!!!!!!

trix!:


While I empathize with you, I must also point out that you are NOT a staff of Access bank. Access bank has outsourced security guards and transaction officers to other firms, and they pay lump sums to these other firms.
Its your parent company that is ment to grant you all these benefits. When you are due for leave, your parent company is supposed to send a replacement for you to access bank.
What's on your letter of employment? Does it carry Access bank letterhead? Was it signed by HR of Access bank?

.....There we go again, yes, he was employed by the outsourcing company but are there not some ID**ots who have been employed by ACCESS bank and saddled with the job of managing this contract? Are those id**iots not expected to oversee the welfare of the third party personnel?

Capitalism has killed all forms of human milk of kindness we have, I say so because, indeed they are not directly responsible to Access but they are indirectly responsible. Why would Access bank not ensure these guys are allowed to work under good and humane conditions? How can a human being work and not be entitled to leave?

I don't blame the Access bank but I blame the Min of Labour and the bad economy. Min of Labour because they are useless as most other FG organs and ineffective, come to work , collect bribes and go to sleep like their daddy in Aso rock. The Economy, that has left young ones with little or no alternatives than to put up with this rubbish.

I suggest the people should forward this letter to the Ministry of Labour and the CBN, NLC during their useful life would have assisted.

If you need help to pursue with the Min of labour, I can connect you to someone who can assist FREE

Very courageous of the writer especially in a country where unemployment is high. But make we no lie, dis guy don already resign for hin heart before sending this email.

Jide as a stakeholder in Access bank, I must salute your courage. I also hope you have another job because the Access bank I know is reputable in sacking recalcitrant staff. However, I wish to inform you that you are not a staff of Access bank but notwithstanding you should not be treated otherwise. The same problems you face in the bank are shared amongst all staff.

Access bank is known to be mindless of staff welfare. Staff are demoralized and angry (professional and support staff). Anybody can do a survey and you will get negative feedbacks. In Access bank job security is a thing of dreams, they live in fear including General Managers. I understand the ambitious nature of Aigboje but Bolaji Agbede (Group Head, H.R) needs to initiate policies for staff welfare and respect for individuals in the workplace.

Appraisal in Access bank is a witch-hunting tool for supervisors to punish subordinates, very subjective and abstract. Also, there should be career path for support staff. You don't keep a person for 7 years on the same salary and the rate of inflation is not the same. Yet you expect the person to keep a smiling face to customers.

When I saw Access bank as one of the best workplace in Nigeria after a survey, I smiled because that survey was erroneously carried out. All sort of harassment happens in Access bank, just think of it.

Access bank should note that one of the successes of service industry is their People (staff) and if the people are not happy, you cannot achieve your objectives.

Mods, please this is front page news.

Are the mods perpetual raw enthanol drinkers or are they always sleeping that people should always remind them of their duty.

chukwudi44: Moderators this is a frontpage material kindly move it to front page

Bro its a big move.......which I knw d bank wld hate the truth......but its blatant enough that the next thing on ur plan nw,shld secure another job after the bitter truth uv just told

madam_oringo: Not surprised at the name of the writer. Even the colonialist white men confirmed that in the whole of Nigeria at that time, only people of the West never sheepishly followed, looked down when they needed to engage them or act as sissies. Bold, strong and courageous people! Naija is what it is, my only advise is to either start your own business on the side, find a better job or get the heck out of Naija to study and establish elsewhere. Naija is a joke and I only see ass lickers of the retardeen anytime the backwardness of the country is brought to light.

see how petty-minded you are!
Already dragging ethnicity into a work ethics discussion,an absolutely different topic.

For crying out loud Nigeria isnt the only country with ethnic groups.Russia has more ethnic groups than we do.

How can the people fight corruption when they are divided,We should all let go of this caveman mentality.


@op
doh
establish a business whilst you are working.
Resign when you've made progress.

trix!:


While I empathize with you, I must also point out that you are NOT a staff of Access bank. Access bank has outsourced security guards and transaction officers to other firms, and they pay lump sums to these other firms.
Its your parent company that is ment to grant you all these benefits. When you are due for leave, your parent company is supposed to send a replacement for you to access bank.
What's on your letter of employment? Does it carry Access bank letterhead? Was it signed by HR of Access bank?

Crap! when an organization outsources a part of its operation to another company, there are terms and conditions!

The organization should clearly spell out certain terms that are incidental to its PR!

“He that is down fears no fall at all”.

Abi, wen una no sack me sef, wetin be d koko of my life?

Management is made up of people with heart,

In other words, Access bank management are callous

Any result
driven organization is suppose to develop
her employees and retain them.

In other words, Access bank is not result-driven oriented. Chai! dis guy finish dis people. No wonder they sharperly sacked him. The truth is indeed bitter; I hope the sensible ones amongst them will look into these issues in future.

trix!:


While I empathize with you, I must also point out that you are NOT a staff of Access bank. Access bank has outsourced security guards and transaction officers to other firms, and they pay lump sums to these other firms.
Its your parent company that is ment to grant you all these benefits. When you are due for leave, your parent company is supposed to send a replacement for you to access bank.
What's on your letter of employment? Does it carry Access bank letterhead? Was it signed by HR of Access bank?

If u r a 'contract staff' u will understand the guy's feelings.