Access Bank speaks on restriction of #EndSARS protesters’ accounts

Access Bank has restated its commitment to deliver superior service to its customers.

The Bank in a statement said it was concerned by the inconvenience that some of its customers are currently experiencing and would play its part to ensure that they have access to their accounts as quickly as possible.

This comes on the heels of a court order restraining the operation of the account of eight of those who partook in the #EndSARS protests.

It followed a suit instituted by the Central Bank of Nigerian against 20 #EndSARS protesters and their sponsors.

Access Bank said in the statement: “We want to express our sympathy for the inconvenience that eight of our customers are going through due to the restrictions on their accounts as mandated by a Federal court order. We are eager for this to be resolved as soon as possible.

“It is common knowledge that we and the entire banking industry are regulated entities and therefore operate under the authority of our regulators and law enforcement agencies. As such we are compelled to comply with regulatory directives.

“While acknowledging the concern of all well-meaning parties, we urge that enquiries and views be channeled to the relevant regulatory and judicial agencies where the matter is receiving attention. It is therefore surprising that some individuals still choose to target Access Bank in a negative manner despite not being the source of the action.

“The Bank has always been at the forefront of innovative efforts in support of the development of our country.

“We embrace this role as we are also the largest employer of labour – a sizeable number of which are youth.

“Access Bank has always led the way with regard to support for young Nigerians in terms of capacity building and development of SMEs. Recall that Access Bank launched an initiative to boost the creative industry with loan facilities aimed at capacity building and employment for individuals and businesses in movie production and distribution, fashion, IT and music.

“Our commitment also extends to the support of small business owners through initiatives that provide access to finance for growth and expansion.

“We continue to be concerned by the inconvenience that our affected customers are experiencing.

“We stand ready to play our part to remedy the situation and have them using their accounts as quickly as possible.”