ISLAMAPHOBIA IN BANK: We have no policy forbidding people from practicing their religion, Polaris Bank disowns anti-Islam memo

*Says staff who wrote memo banning Jumu’at prayer ‘ignorant’

*Your excuse unacceptable, bank management told as angry Muslims say “this is yet another face of anti-Islam stance in Nigeria’s industries”

By OUR REPORTER

The Polaris Bank has reacted to outrage that greeted an official correspondence its system, which banned Muslim bankers from going to observe Jumu’at service on Friday in accordance to their Islamic religion’s practice.

It said that one of its supervising staff, Damilola Adebara, who wrote the memo banning workers from going out to attend Friday prayers acted in ignorance.

The DEFENDER, citing a media report, said that in a leaked email to staffers, Ms Adebara banned staff from attending the Jumu’at prayer, stressing that whoever flouts the ban would be dealt with accordingly.

According to her, the bank does not have a policy that allows any employee to go for religious activities during work hours.

The report said screenshot of the leaked email read: “Dear All, it has been observed that on Fridays, you leave your work desks to attend the Jumat service, bearing in mind the impact of your absence on the workflow and productivity of Yes Center.”

“Kindly note that there is no provision made anywhere in the Bank’s policy for employees to attend any religious activities during work hours.

“Going forward such permissions would not be granted on the Yes Center platform and any infraction of this directive would be dealt with accordingly. You are all expected to acknowledge the receipt of this mail. Thank you.”

Reacting to the backlash from many Nigerians, the bank issued a statement, distancing itself from the stance of the supervisor.

In a statement signed on Thursday, the bank’s management reportedly said Ms Adebara acted in ignorance as the bank does not have any policy that forbids people from practicing their religion.

While noting that Nigeria is a secular state, the bank management said the supervisor’s action does not reflect the corporate identity of the Bank.

“The attention of the Bank has been drawn to a shared screenshot of mail sent by a supervisor to staff in her department in respect of Friday prayers.”

“This is to clarify that Nigeria is a secular nation and our Bank is guided by this standard.

“Accordingly, there is no policy in the Bank that forbids staff from practicing the religion of their choice; hence the said staff had acted in ignorance and we have since addressed the issue internally.”

“We assure all staff, customers, and the public that we will continue to respect the fundamental rights and freedom of worship of every employee,” the bank said.

However, some Muslims are saying there must be an apology from the bank or Muslims will be asked to begin to boycott Polaris Bank nationwide.

This is as they said there is no way the bank management would claim deny the action of Daramola Adebara, “a religious bigot in work place” that issued such memo capable of collapsing the entire Polaris system in Nigeria considering the impact of Muslims’ withdrawals, and nothing happened except for “an unidentified management to deny and say thing unclear and thing we will be okay with that.”

The management’s emphasis saying “This is to clarify that Nigeria is a secular nation and our Bank is guided by this standard” angered the Muslims the more as they believed that the memo was done based on management approval, worrying “how a bank in this country will hate Islam and Muslims so much but do not hate to receive their money into their so-called bank’s economy”.

One of them, who did not want his name in print while reviewing the Polaris Bank’s official memo, said: “You can see the extent of insensitiveness of the bank towards the feelings of Muslims. Christian staff in JAIZ that is Islamic bank enjoy every right that a Christian must have but when it comes to banks where they have control, they always want to figure Muslim out for disgrace and embarrassment.

“How can you say “on Fridays, you leave your work desks to attend the Jumat service, bearing in mind the impact of your absence on the workflow and productivity of Yes Center”? But you have the whole of Saturday and Sunday to yourselves just because you want to go to Church. At that point, Nigeria is not a secular nation, ko? This bank’s excuse of ignorance is unacceptable until, for now, it apologises,” he said.