The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, has said that the 1000 staff who left the bank last December did so by choice and were not made to leave.
Cardoso made this clear on Friday when he appeared before a special group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives. This group is looking into why so many staff left the bank and why they were offered a large sum of money as a leaving gift.
The head of the bank, represented by a senior official, explained that the staff who left chose to do so through a special program that offered them all their benefits.
He said that this program, along with changes the bank is making to its structure and how it works, is about making sure the bank is as efficient as possible and has the right people in the right jobs.
He explained that as the world becomes more digital, some jobs become unnecessary. He also said that staff have chosen to leave the bank on their own in the past.
Cardoso stressed that no one was forced to leave the bank. He also pointed out that many other organisations, both public and private, are doing similar things.
The bank official added that the changes are meant to address the problem of some staff not being able to progress in their careers within the bank.
Earlier, the head of the special group of lawmakers emphasised that their job is to present a report to the full House of Representatives.
