By Ginika Okoye
Chief Okechukwu Unegbu, a former President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), has tasked banks in the country to ensure professional training of their staff.
Unegbu, also a former banker, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, that most banks now feigned ignorance about professionalism but were bent on profit making.
He said the development was dangerous to the banking profession and the business.
The expert said the training which could be done in conjunction with the CIBN, would ensure integrity, adequate knowledge, and discipline in the industry.
Unegbu said the dearth of professionals in the industry had led to the increasing rate of corruption and fraud in banks.
The expert said the development had also led to mistreatment and disenchantment of customers by bank staff.
Unegbu who narrated his experience with some bank staff, noted that banks needed to up their game in the training of their staff for the growth of the banking industry.
”What I have discovered is that banks are no longer training their staff to be professionals and this is very dangerous.
”Banks just employ people, pay them as if they are daily paid workers and those people have no interest in developing professional careers in the sector.
”So, the banks have lost professional touch among their staff, so they need to do a lot of changes in that direction.
”What they are thinking about now is making profit but there is a profit growth procedure from professionalism, where you have very core staff with integrity, professional training, and adequate enforcement of the rules of banking.
”That is why most times, in some of the banks, you have a high rate of corruption and fraud, because those staff that are not professionals and are not thinking of growing in the institution.
”What most of their staff think of is to make quick money and go as fast as possible and even if they are caught, it doesn’t matter.
”So, the best thing is for the banks to change that idea and let them serve the customers to ensure the growth and stability of the bank,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
