By Ishaya Ibrahim
Minister of finance, Zainab Ahmed, has said that the financial sector would be allowed to offer skeletal services during the shutdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja.
On March 29, President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria announced a lockdown of Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory for the next 14 days commencing at 11pm from March 30.
The presidential lockdown exempted certain category of persons in the telecommunication, electricity, health, private security and media industry. Staff of banks were not listed among those that are allowed to go to work. This caused residents of the affected states to besiege banks to make panic withdrawals.
But a memo signed by the Finance Minister, Ahmed, said that the president has agreed to exempt workers of the financial sector from the lockdown to provide skeletal services during the lockdown.