MON, MARCH 30 2020-theG&BJournal- In one branch in Lagos, the nation’s financial capital, nearly 100 customers sat under canopies provided by the bank. Some of them came in as early as 8 am. Those were the lucky ones. In another bank’s branch, the customers were not that lucky. They had no canopies to sit under, so they queued under the scotching sun awaiting their turn to get into the banking hall.
‘’I am not sure I will ever get into the banking hall to withdraw my cash, a customer named Ben,’’ told theG&BJournal.
The bank in question allows just two customers in at a time.
‘’We are simply following the laid down rules,’’ the branch manager (names with held) said when our reporters probed to know the options available for customers who are not able to gain entrance at the end of the days’ banking hall business by 4pm today.
Several other bank branches in the city are shut following directive from their management and their staff sent home for two weeks.
The ATM points were equally clogged by scores of customers waiting to withdraw cash. Our reporters observed that numerous ATM machines ran out of cash as early 10 am, some were simply not functioning or not loaded and the frustration told in the faces of customers who queued in the drenching sun.
In some groceries stores in the city, the line stretched out to about 50 meters, with shoppers donning face masks crammed together and scrambling to get in for a number of essential items such as toilet rolls, milk, bread, bag of rice. The main local markets are already on lockdown with only those selling food items allowed to sell.
Some super markets allowed only two shoppers at a time, while others let in about a dozen, depending on the type of item they want to purchase.
‘’It is part of the measures we are told to enforce to ensure people are safe while they shop,’’ Samson a store manager told our reporter. ‘’As you can see, we have provided hand sanitizers and we expect all our customers to use it before entering the super market,’’ he said.
Our reporters are reporting similar developments in Abuja, the Federal capital, were shoppers are panic-buying every essential item they could lay their hands on.
The Federal Government imposed restrictions on the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun states, the hotspots of the coronavirus (COVID-19) spread in the country for an initial period of 14 days with effect from 11pm on Monday, 30th March 2020. The restrictions was announced by President Muhammadu Buhari Sunday as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases spiked to 111, with health experts projecting substantial increase in the coming days.
The announcement triggered the rush by Nigerian consumers, particularly in Lagos and Ogun States to stock up, with many saying that they were caught unawares by the announcement, as well as surprised by the continued rise in confirmed cases across the country, particularly in Lagos and Abuja.
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