How First Bank Sacked Over 1000 Staff Nationwide Via Text Message

Almost a month into the alleged mass sack of over 1000 of its workers nationwide through the short message service (SMS) popularly called text messages and telephone calls by Nigeria’s leading financial institution, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, the exercise is yet to abate as more staff keep receiving messages through such crude mode terminating their employment.

Reports have it that First Bank, through its consultant, Whyte Cleon, has been silently sacking staff across the federation unofficially via the text messages and phone calls.

The layoff, which started in August, was couched in a 36-words text message, which has ended the careers of over 1,000 Nigerians in the FBN and added them to the ever-growing ranks of jobless persons in the country.

It  reads, “Dear colleagues, this message supersedes the earlier message sent by us.

“You are hereby withdrawn from the services of Whyte Cleon Ltd. Effective immediately, 7^thAugust 2017. For further clarification, please contact the office. Thank you.”

It was gathered that while many got text messages and calls from their homes long after work hours, others reported for duty and found they can no longer sign into their systems.

They were allegedly humiliated and walked out of the bank premises by private security guards.

The most affected are those recruited as front tellers, account and clearing support officers, customer service officers and marketing associates.

It was further learnt that majority of the affected staff have put in between five and 10 years in the service of the bank before they were thrown out in a most uncivil manner.

Reports also have it that First Bank’s labour contractor, Whyte Cleon Limited actually sent the termination letters to the affected staff on August 28 but backdated it to August 7.

However, in a chat with a national newspaper, Babatunde Lasaki, First Bank Nigeria’s Head, Media and External Communications, confirmed the sack but said it was carried out in line with global best practice.

Every year, he said the First Bank conducts an appraisal after which it promotes staff with exceptional performance while under performers are asked to leave the bank.

Lasaki could not, however, confirm how many staff have been affected in the on-going retrenchment exercise.

When told of the crude means majority of the staff affected by the purge were sacked, he denied such practice.

“I am not sure that is true. That is what they said but that is not standard practice. It is not the way we exit people in our organisation.

“Everybody who is leaving will be given his or her letter. I have a letter of one of those leaving. It is not possible to be asked to leave with a text message.

“I sympathise with people who are asked to leave because I know how traumatic it could be but people can be very emotional when they are asked to go and that is understandable. We follow the global practice and our bank is not only operating in Nigeria. We operate in seven countries across the continent and everything we do is in line with the global process,” he explained.

In spite of his denial, many of the affected staff could not imagine the bank they toil for could employ such indecent means to disengage them while those still in the service of the bank are said to be worry stiff as they are not sure of their status since information reaching them suggested that many will still be laid off in the months to come.