Mixed feelings greeted the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to nationalise three banks in Ekiti State as customers grappled with change of managements in the affected financial institutions.
A visit to the branches of the three affected banks in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital by LEADERSHIP yesterday, revealed normal transactions at the banks as customers were seen making enquiries from officials of the banks.
Our correspondent discovered that only Keystone Bank Limited formerly BankPHB displayed its new logo and identity outside its premises.
The bank has one branch in Ado-Ekiti which is located on Secretariat Road.
Officials of Mainstreet Bank formerly known as Afribank also located on Secretariat Road, had removed the signpost bearing its former identity, but were yet to replace it at the time of filing this report.
Curiously, two branches of old Spring Bank now known as Enterprise Bank located at Ijigbo and Fajuyi areas of the city, were yet to remove the signposts bearing their old logos and identities.
LEADERSHIP gathered that all the affected banks pasted the notice of transfer of ownership at their main gates.
The notice stipulated that all the deposits, assets, liabilities of Bank PHB, Afribank and Spring Bank had been transferred to Keystone Bank Limited, Mainstreet Bank Limited and Enterprise Bank Limited respectively.
The notice said the transfer was carried out by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) in exercise of its power under Section 38 (1) and 39 (1) of the NDIC Act.
At the Ado-Ekiti branch of Keystone Bank, a customer who identified himself as Mr. Tope Adeniyi told LEADERSHIP he had no problem with the bank as long as his money was safe.
Mr. Olu Ajayi, who is a customer at Fajuyi Street branch of Enterprise
Bank Limited (formerly known as Spring Bank) told LEADERSHIP that his
colleague at work informed him of the revocation of the licence of the?defunct bank.Ajayi said he called an official of the bank who allayed his fear over?the safety of his money in the bank.
He said that as far as he is concerned, it is only the name andidentity that has changed.
Another customer, Mr. Gbenga Falade, revealed that he had to rush to?Mainstreet Bank (formerly Afribank) to confirm the new development?since his salaries are paid to the bank.
“This is the bank where my salary is being remitted, when I heardabout the change of name, I quickly ran to make enquiries about the ?development”, Falade said.
Normal activities were still going on at the banks at the time of this report.