The interview granted to a Radio Station by Dr Obodiah Mailafia has cost him his job at the high profile National Institute of Policy and Strategic and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, Jos.
Dr Mailafia, an ex- Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, quit from his position as a very senior Directing Staff of the Institute on Tuesday.
It is not known if he quit on his own, or forced to quit, but Dr Mailafia has had a running battle with the law since he granted the damning interview to a Radio station, alleging a couple of things he has been unable to prove.
Among others, he had alleged that a serving Northern Governor was a Commander of the insurgent group, Boko Haram. He has also said that the sect would embark on a killing spree of prominent people in cities, and that there will be a civil war in Nigeria in 2022.
He attributed his source to intelligence gathering, and repentant Boko Haram Commanders, who he claimed to have discussed with on, at least, three occasions.
The interview had gone viral on Whatsaap, triggering reactions like claps of thunder.
Worried about the implications of the contents of the interview, the Directorate of State Services, DSS, did the expected in such circumstances. He was invited to the Service’s Jos office, where he was grilled for about six hours and granted bail.
Questioned by Journalists just after his release, he said DSS personnel were very courteous and civil to him, but admitted his own mistake. He ought to have collaborated his sources from other sources, he said, but then, went on to speak as if he stood by his story.
That prompted the DSS to issue a statement, disclosing that Mailafia had apologised profusely while with them, admitting that his sources were in deed traders in the market, and not from Boko Haram Commanders as he had claimed in his Radio interview. The Service accused him of playing to the gallery, by talking as if he stood by his story while he was with them inside.
A couple of days later, he was invited again by the DSS, and released in less than an hour. But, a few days later, the Police extended a letter of invitation to him to the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
But it was an invitation he had no intention of honouring, after he had made it public. On Monday, he proceeded to a Jos High Court and secured an injunction, enforcing his human rights, and not to be “harassed” by the Police.
On Tuesday, his Counsel, Yakubu Bawa, told the Press that his client has resigned his position in NIPSS.
Not a few people were surprised that Mailfia, was on the staff of NIPSS when he made the allegations, and that he had waited this long to resign.
Speaking on Mailfia, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, had taken a swipe at him, and wondered if anybody thought Mailafia would not be called to question over his “irresponsible” pronouncements.
The Radio station which aired the interview, was fined the sum of five million Naira, for airing an alleged “hate speech.”
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, caucus members in the House of Representatives are set to sue President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of State, Labour, Employment and Productivity, Festus Keyamo over the 774,000 job scheme. They alleged it is politically motivated.
They allege the Federal Government is undermining the National Assembly, especially on the Special Public Works Scheme by the Federal Government.
The PDP caucus, which said it had “unequivocally rejected and dissociated itself” from the programme, “strongly” admonished its members to ignore the letters written to Senators and House members by State coordinators of the National Directorate of Employment on behalf of Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
The lawmaker particularly accused Keyamo and the NDE management of disregarding the Parliament under Buhari’s watch.
Also, the caucus apologised to Nigerians for being part of the National Assembly that approved the N52bn for the implementation of the programme in the 2020 Appropriation Act.
The lawmakers also declared the N20,000 stipend to be paid to each beneficiary for three months as illegal as it is against the provisions of the National Minimum Wages Act.
Leader of the PDP caucus, Kingsley Chinda, said this in a statement issued on Monday, titled ‘774,000 Job Scheme: PDP Caucus Says Scheme Politically Motivated, Unsustainable…Vows to Employ Legal Action to Address Encroachment of Statutory Functions, Fundamental Human Rights.’
Chinda added, “The PDP caucus of the House, as members of the National Assembly, does not exonerate itself from responsibility in the approval of funds for implementation of the misguided Special Public Works Programme and unreservedly apologise to Nigerians for the planned misapplication of their scarce resources.”
He stated, “The caucus has resolved to employ legislative and lawful processes including institution of legal action were necessary to address any encroachment on the performance of our statutory functions and fundamental human rights.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Chairman of Nigerians In Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, is saddened, and yet to come to terms to the decision of the United Arab Emirates government to sentence Eight Nigerians to death.
The former lawmaker described the situation as unfortunate.
She has also warned Nigerian parents against sending their children to Universities in Northern Cyprus over the incessant, and mysterious killings of Nigerians.
Dabiri-Erewa gave the warning on Monday, saying it was too risky to send children to the schools in Northern Cyprus as hundreds of Nigerian students had been killed there mysteriously without any conclusive investigations carried out.
She said this when she received, in her office, a delegation led by Justice Amina Bello, mother of a Nigerian student, Ibrahim Khaleel, who was killed in inexplicable circumstances in that country.
She stressed that the death of Khaleel, a third-year Engineering student, has brought to a tipping point the incessant killings of Nigerian students in Northern Cyprus under baffling circumstances.
The NIDCOM boss, who read out 15 names of Nigerians from a list of more than 100, who were killed in Northern Cyprus, said it was difficult to employ international diplomacy in investigation as the country is only recognised by Turkey.
“The death of Ibrahim Khaleel should be the tipping point to a stop in the killing of our children anywhere in the world, particularly Northern Cyprus.
“It is not only Ibrahim. Kennedy Dede, 28; Augustine Ngok, Gabriel Sorewei, Osabanjo Owoyale, Augustine Wallace, Stanley Eteno, Hassan Babatunde, Temitayo Adigun, and Kubat Abraham are just a few of the ones that we even know.
“The problem is that most Nigerian parents do not know that Northern Cyprus is not recognised by any country in the world.
“It is not a UN-recognised country. It is only recognised by Turkey. That is why we have not been able to do much.
“Who do you report to? Thousands of Nigerian students are schooling there and I tell you that hundreds have been killed. Who do you take these cases to?
“And they are killed in similar circumstances. The school just tells you, ‘Well, they committed suicide,’ and nothing happens.
“We are going to list all these names of Nigerians that have been killed and we demand justice. There has been no prosecution and no compensation.
“No Nigerian parent should send their children to any university in Northern Cyprus – there is a collaboration which we do not understand that makes them kill blacks, particularly our Nigerian students,” she said.
She assured the mother of the deceased student that the Commission would work with her to demand justice, not only for her son but also for other Nigerians who have been killed while studying in Northern Cyprus.
She said the case had already been transferred to INTERPOL through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
The NIDCOM chairman recalled that when she was a serving lawmaker and Sorewei’s killing was on the front burner in Nigeria, the school which seemed unapologetic about the killing had already sent its agents to lure more Nigerians with juicy scholarships.
While acknowledging that Nigerian schools needed improvements, she gave an assurance of President Muhammadu Buhari’s dedication to improving the education sector and insisted that many Nigerian schools were better than some of the acclaimed foreign universities in spite of the odds.
She said that there were already reports that many of the courses being offered by the “shoddy” universities in Northern Cyprus were not accredited, pledging that NIDCOM would work with the Nigerian Universities Commission for a possible blacklist of certificates from the country.
“Yes our universities have challenges. There are strikes and you don’t (always) know when you are going to finish but there are some of these universities that you will regret you even went to, including some in Africa.
“It is better to go to a private university here than to go to some of these places that we go to in the name of ‘our children are in Europe’.
“We have written the NUC. The key thing is to blacklist Northern Cyprus and to stop our children from going to that country to study.
“We will be working with the NUC to list all the universities in Northern Cyprus and blacklist them. We cannot be letting them kill our children.
She said that NIDCOM had met with the Ambassador of Turkey to Nigeria, who being new, said he was unaware of the killing but promised to look into the matter.
She added there were plans by NIDCOM to visit Northern Cyprus after the COVID-19 Pandemic to see things as clearly as they were.
She admonished Nigerians schooling abroad to make it a point of duty to always report to the Nigerian mission in that country upon arrival.
Speaking earlier, the mother of the late student said that she was yet to come to terms with the death of her son whom was reported to have committed suicide but circumstances showed otherwise.
She said that autopsy reports and investigations which she had requested in the past seven months were yet to come, adding that the school authorities were being evasive.
She said that while she was told by authorities that her son jumped from the 7th floor of a building, there was no visible injury on his body or head to suggest that.
Former Super Eagles defender, Chidi Nwanu, has made a startling revelation about players in the National team.
The former national team defender said most players in the National team usually go diabolical to get the nod of the coaches to feature them, to be loved by people. He also alleged that they engage in destroying a lot talents.
The former Enyimba defender who is now an evangelist, also, revealed he won’t go into coaching if called upon by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) saying he’ll rather motivate players than coach.
Nwanu who has joined the league of ex-players are winning souls for God said : ”I am in the ministry. That is why I said, a team that has all these fetish things will not do well. And that is what some players do and they have destroyed a lot of talents.
“Nigeria needs to look into the moral discipline and moral behaviour of its players. If you look at the way we carry ourselves and project ourselves here, there is a lot of difference between us and our European counterparts. The Europeans play with all their hearts, but we take it easy as if there is nothing at stake.”
When asked if he would accept an offer to coach the Super Eagles, he said: ”I have always answered this question in a particular way. To be a coach is not the only way you can help a team to succeed. There are many other ways. Like in Europe here, they have motivational speakers to stir up their spirits.
“The one that is emotionally down, maybe he finds himself not playing well, he goes through that process in order to get well. Somebody can be in the technical team, helping the coach to select players in their various positions. If you look at some teams today, they seem to have players who play in the same position but scattered in different positions.
“When you do that, you can’t have a strong team. One can help the national team in the area of fitness, welfare, disciplinary aspect because some players could be better players if they were disciplined, etc. Sometimes it could be bad lifestyles and you help them.”
Chidi won 20 caps for Nigeria, and was part of the squads for the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the 1988 Summer Olympics.
The revelation by Nwanu further corroborates the disclosure of another ex-international, Taribo West, who’s also a Pastor working in the vineyard of God.
West said that they go as far as Mali, Togo, Cote D’Ivoire to engage in festish practices during their days so that they could be the best.
He said in the process, a lot of talents are gone, because they would be the only one person to see and no striker can dribble them.
West later revealed that all that was vanity upon vanity, because it wouldn’t last. When the repercussion comes, they will always blame themselves.
Nigeria’s aviation sector may take up two years to recover from the effects of COVID 19 as it continues to experience financial drag in spite of government’s reopening of operations, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika has said.
“I think until quarter four of 2021 and perhaps quarter one of 2022, we will continue to see a sharp decline in passengers and that is directly proportional to the revenue that we collect because people’s confidence has to be raised,” Hadi Sirika said.
Sirika had recently announced the resumption of International flights August 29. Before now, it was only chartered flights and flights with special permissions that flew the Nigerian airspace.
Airlines have been having running battles with Aviation unions over staff welfare and load shedding, with ultimatums causing turbulence in the industry.
Federal Airports Authority had reported N44.39 billion losses in 3-year due to the non-profitability of some airports. Besides Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt, other Airports, particularly those in the North, are not self-sustaining.
The losses according to a report were incurred in the operations of 17 airports across the country as lack of sufficient traffic, huge overhead and maintenance cost dominated expenditures
“They have to begin to want to fly again and certain factors that encourage propensity to fly are also being eroded during this period,” the minister said while interacting with Nigerian lawmakers in Abuja”, he said.
According to him, the sector has run into difficult and challenging times due to the impact of coronavirus pandemic.
“We are not in the business of selling phones that we can still sell and get the required revenue. The revenue for yesterday is lost. Therefore, we are hugely impacted by the COVID,” He said, adding that many advanced countries appear to be spending huge resources to support the civil aviation industry after the reopening of airspace and resumption of operations. But Nigeria, he said, is falling short of its responsibilities n this regard.
For this reason, he said, Government plans to concession some airports in the country, and has already concluded the basic outlines, only waiting for concessionaires. He said privatization is no longer the option because concession“is simple and that is because this government, the APC administration is social democratic in nature, it does not want to sell national assets.”
“If the government is not able to fund us because of the the challenge of income, then the government should not take the little we have. Every single agency in civil aviation is so critical that we need to fund it and because we understand the nature of this business, that was why we have now introduced the concession of our airports.
“We have now done the outline business case, we are now going ahead for the procurement to concession this airport.
“It wants to keep the assets with the people but we can concession them and improve thebm to make them better. We are very sure that when we do that, we will improve the revenue of the nation.”
Minister for Transportation has lost a close political ally.
Dr Chidi Lloyd, the Director General of the All Progressives Congress, APC, during the 2019 Governorship election, not only abandoned Amaechi, he ,also, apologised to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, over a fight in the House of Assembly in 2013.
Lloyd capped his apology by dumping the APC for the PDP, saying he was ready, and available to join hands with the Governor for the good of the state.
In 2013, under Amaechi’s Governorship, Lloyd, who was the Leader of the House of Assembly, was central to a fistcuff in the House, for which Amaechi rushed down to the House, and was captured jumping tables, almost, to join in the fray.
But on a visit to Wike at the Government House, Dr Lloyd said: “My people have asked me to tell you that we will henceforth join hands with you in the Peoples Democratic Party.
“Your Excellency, I thank God today that all the dramatis personae that were involved in that shameful are alive. None was buried.
“Your Excellency, I tender an unreserved apology for whatever actions that may have been ascribed to me. I am truly sorry for the pain which I may have caused my brother, Michael Okechukwu Chinda.”
A happy and excited Wike, in welcoming Lloyd, said he was happy Lloyd was back home, noting that Lloyd was his friend and brother.
With Lloyd’s defection, Amaechi has lost another close ally. Even though he and his former Secretary to the Government, Senator Magnus Abe, are still in the same party, their relationship is very sour.
Abe was an unabashed loyalist of Amaechi before they fell out.
Knocks and condemnations have greeted a viral video where a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Ondo state was reported to have threatened war on opposition during the October 10 Governorship election.
A traditional ruler in the state, the Regent of Ibule, Princess Olubunmi Falowo described insinuations in the viral video as falling short of the personality of Mr Isaac Kekemeke.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called on security agencies to arrest the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Mr. Isaac Kekemeke, over the inciting and threatening comments.
Kekemeke, former state chairman of APC and one of the aspirants in the last Governorship primary, had boasted in a viral video that thugs and federal might would be used during the October 10, 2020 gubernatorial election in the state.
The State chairman of the PDP, Mr Fatai Adams said that his party has filed petitions with security agencies in the state asking for the arrest of the APC chieftain.
“There’s this viral video where one Isaac Kekemeke, former chairman of APC in Ondo State, openly admitted that APC thugs, sponsored by Akeredolu, were responsible for destroying campaign bill boards and posters of Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, the PDP standard bearer.
“He also confessed that the NURTW will be mobilized with arms and ammunition to rig the election in favour of the APC. He admitted in like manner that Federal Might(whatever that means) will be brought to bear on the elections in Ondo State.
“We are very surprised that up till now, the security agencies have not apprehended D.I. Kekemeke to answer for his utterances that are capable of precipitating crisis and setting Ondo State on fire ahead of the gubernatorial election in the state.
“We’ve sent letters to security agencies this morning (Monday). The security agencies are representatives of Mr. President and we believe through this, he will intervene.
“We are doing this to guarantee free and fair election in the state during the forthcoming gubernatorial election on October 10, 2020.
“His statement was careless, very reckless and unbecoming of a man who parades himself as a lawyer. By his utterances, he’s a huge disgrace to his profession and party.
“PDP is law-abiding and ready to play the game according to the rule. We believe the security agencies will be able to handle this.”
However, PDP declared it was ready for the October 10, 2020 gubernatorial election, saying “as a party, we are prepared for a free and fair election, and Akeredolu and his party should do the same.
“But if there’s any violence during this period, Akeredolu and APC should be held responsible.”
Kekemeke had admitted making those words but claimed that they were side talks which one of his boys mistakenly posted to the social media.
In an open letter, the Regent of Ibulesoro, Regent Olubunmi Falowo expressed disappointment with the trending video where Kekemeke boasted about his machinery of violence and intimidation during the forthcoming gubernatorial elections.
“I saw the video multiple times in disbelief that it couldn’t have been you sir. Even though I have no personal relationship with you, I felt hurt and betrayed by a leader I admire. I was scared when you called yourself a militant.”
Urging the APC chieftain to apologise to the people of Ondo State, the Regent pointed out that “it may have been political, but to us, it was a threat to our collective peace as a people. Kindly also commit to a violence free process. If not because of today, do it because of tomorrow.”
For over five months, former World Best Footballer of the Year, Ronaldinho De Assis was in jail in Asuncion, Paraguay for entering the country with fake passport.
But Ronaldinho has now been released from the jail in Paraguay, where he was arrested in March.
The former Barcelona, AC Milan and Brazil star, Ronaldinho was finally released from jail in Paraguay after nearly five months.
Ronaldinho and his brother, Roberto Assis, were both jailed in the South American country.
The pair were moved from jail to house arrest in a Paraguayan hotel in April after serving 32 days in prison.
Ronaldinho, a key part of Brazil’s 2002 World Cup-winning squad, and his brother were released from house arrest on Monday.
While Ronaldinho paid a $90,000 fine, his brother was fined $110,000, while travel conditions were imposed on both.
The former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder won 97 caps for Brazil between 1999 and 2013, scoring 33 times.
The Lagos State House of Assembly has summoned the Chief of Staff to Governor Babajide Sanwoolu, Tayo Ayinde, the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Sam Egube, Commissioner For Special Duties, Wale Ahmed, and the management of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) over the whereabouts of the three helicopters belonging to the State government.
Raising the issue under Matter of Urgent Public Importance during plenary on Monday 24th August, 2020, the Chief Whip of the Assembly, Hon. Mojisola Miranda, stated that the offices and MDAs in-charge of the helicopters should be written to, and that the Assembly should know the agreement between the state government and Caverton Helicopters , the company managing the helicopters.
“If you may recall, in 2007, the House of Assembly passed a bill for the establishment of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) for the state government to equip and strengthen the security agencies in the state.
“In 2015, three helicopters were bought under Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to strengthen security in the state. But, the helicopters are nowhere to be found now.
“I will want us to look at it and get the concerned parties to tell the House the location of the three helicopters to see if they are just lying fallow or if the state government has entered into an agreement with an entity on the equipment and see to what extent the agreement has been working,” she said.
The Speaker of the House, pointed out that the helicopters were meant for dual purposes, and that they were meant to be used for security purposes and for commercial purposes.
Obasa emphasised that the House should just try to know what has accrued to the state from the helicopters so far, saying that this was the first time the Assembly would be talking about the equipment.
“What we have said so far has nothing to do with the image of the state or the Assembly. What the Chief Whip has done is not too much. We need to know what has happened to the helicopters,” he said.
In his contribution, Hon. Rotimi Olowo, representing Shomolu 1 Constituency said that the House approved the purchase of two helicopters during the era of former governor Babatunde Raji Fashola.
Olowo added that a Commissioner told the House then that they had an agreement with Caverton Nigeria Limited to operate the helicopters so that the state government would make some money from the operations.
He revealed that one helicopter was bought under former governor Akinwunmi Ambode making it three, and that it was important to know how they had been managed so far and where the money was.
Lending his voice, Hon. Fatai Mojeed, Representing Ibeju Lekki 1 said that the assets were purchased for security purposes and to generate money for the state government.
He added that the House needed to know what has happened to the helicopters and that a committee should be set up to look into the matter.
This was corroborated by Hon. Abiodun Tobun, Representing Epe 1 Constituency, who said that the helicopters should be at the reach of the state for security purposes, probity and accountability and that revenue from the equipment should reflect in the account books of the state.
Tobun stressed that whoever is in-charge should give account of what has been done with the helicopters, where there are kept and they should account for the income generated so far.
On his part, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu, representing (Eti Osa 2 Constituency said that the issue was very germane, and that the money that is used to fund the operation of the helicopters goes through Special Duties.
Hon. Noheem Adams Representing Eti Osa 1 Constituency also spoke on the matter and said that the helicopters were purchased for commercial purposes, while Hon. Rotimi Abiru (Shomolu 2) cautioned that the Assembly ought to have approached the office of the Chief of Staff over what has happened to the helicopters before bringing it to plenary.
Another lawmaker, Hon. Olawale AbdulSobur Olayiwola (Mushin 2) said that it was important to call the attention of the state government to the matter, saying that the House needed to know the whereabouts of the helicopters, adding that the vehicles that were donated for security purposes in the state were also not functioning very well.
Supporting the matter, Hon. Adedamola Kasunmu (Ikeja 1), said that security is not just about life, and that security of property is also necessary.
“I want to believe that Caverton Helicopters generate money from the helicopters.
“The helicopters should have been very useful for air transport to isolation centres during this period of COVID-19 Pandemic.
“The LSSTF gave out the helicopters for purposes of generating funds. The LSSTF should be invited, they have a Chairman and an Executive Secretary,” he said.
Hon. Nurudeen Akinsanya (Mushin 1), Hon. Nurudeen Saka-Solaja (Ikorodu 2) and Hon. Temitope Adewale (Ifako/Ijaiye 1) also contributed to the debate on the matter, which got the support of all the members of the Assembly.
BANK AMONG COMMERCIAL BANKS WITH HIGHEST EMPLOYEE FRAUD
By Tosin Olatokunbo
Tokunbo Abiru, the managing director of Polaris Bank Limited is leaving the bank a fulfilled man. He has served meritoriously, first as the chief executive officer of defunct Skye Bank Plc and later Polaris Bank, following the CBN intervention that saved the bank from bankruptcy in 2018.
Last week, Abiru, believed to be the preferred candidate of APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as replacement for Adebayo Osinowo, who died in June, to represent Lagos East in the Nigerian Senate, informed his staff that he was leaving the bank to pursue other ambitions.
The outgoing Polaris Bank CEO who served as Commissioner of Finance in the administration of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, has reasons to be proud. Through sheer expertise the seasoned finance administrator has, within two years lifted the once problematic bank from near collapse to what has now become envy to its peers, so much so that the lender was able to return N27 billion profit After Tax, PAT in the 2019 financial year.
Reeling out his achievements to staff recently the elated Abiru said “It gives me great pleasure to say that, with the support of the Board, Executive Management and all of you, we have delivered on the mandate given to us by the Central Bank of Nigeria upon assumption of office in 2016.
“We have reversed almost all regulatory ratios for good and currently rank amongst the very best in the industry. There can be no better testament to the much-improved state of the Bank than the full year 2019 results in which the Bank posted Profit After Tax, PAT of N27billion.
“To buttress the fact that this is sustainable, the Bank’s first half 2020 result showed a PAT of over N18billion, despite the tremendous headwinds brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
From all indications, the bank’s staff are happy that things have turned around for better.
The shareholders too are elated and not left out, the apex Regulator, CBN, that Abiru delivered on the mandate of revamping the bank.
Abolore Sues the Bank
But can the same be said of some customers who had lost their hard earned money to the dubious acts of some employees of the bank?
That the bank has not been able to resolve the issue of fraudulent transfers of money from customers’ accounts is a big worry to many stakeholders.
The fact that customers who suffered from this fraud have not received their money back has continued to marvel close watchers of the bank, two years after it claimed to have rebranded.
Another thing that should worry the managers of the bank, is the notion that Polaris Bank is among commercial banks in the country with the highest employee fraud.
“In spite of Abiru’s achievements, the outgoing managing director has failed to rein in the syndicate involved in fraudulent withdrawal of money belonging to customers which has remained a snag on the integrity of Polaris Bank,” a financial analyst said.
According to him “a bank cannot be claiming to do well when customers harbor the feelings that money kept in its care is not safe. Trust is a universal banking principle that forms parts of the integrity of any commercial bank. When you lost it, nothing is left.”
He explained that integrity is when an organization, trying to prove to customers that it has taken a new leaf from its inglorious past, redeems or restitute that dirty past.
Polaris Bank have shelved Skye Bank as its old name, but it still carries the negative weight of the old bank which it has obviously failed to resolved: the ‘syndicate’ employees who withdraw money from customers accounts without their consent are still very much working with the bank, while the Abiru-led bank has failed to return money fraudulently withdrawn from customers’ account, analysts say.
The case of one customer, Abdul Salam Waheed Abolore has continued to hunt Polaris Bank and put a lie to claim that it has shelved its old garment of fraud and that all its customers are happy, analysts insist.
Abiru: Leaving the Bank for Politics
Few years ago, Abolore struggled to open an account with the bank despite the harsh economic condition, which hardly left anything for savings.
According to him, he agreed to open the account in 2013 after persuasion from marketers from the bank, and planned to use whatever he saved to expand his business in the future. Abolore gave the savings account no as 1010480043.
What happened three years after he opened the account has not stopped to confound him till today.
He was in his house resting on June 8, 2016 around 12 pm when he received an alert that N280,000 has been withdrawn from his account. The amount, he said was fraudulently transferred in three stages: N80,000, N100,000 and N100,000 respectively.
The money, he explained was transferred to two Zenith Bank accounts number 1003194422 and 2009475894. Since he did not authorized the transaction, he started worrying that something sinister must have happened.
All through the night he could not sleep, waiting for the day to break so that he could go to his branch to lodge an official complaint.
At least, he still trusted the bank enough to believe that the problem will be resolve as soon as they listen to him.
But that was not what happened when he got to his branch the following day to lodge a complaint that money has been withdrawn from his account the night before without his consent.
He was shocked that the staff who attended to him did not show much empathy, thus confirming his earlier fear that somebody is trying to rob him of his hard earned money.
The staff on the counter, he said, started asking him questions such as, whether he disclosed his account details to somebody, or maybe he lost his ATM card. None of the above happened he politely told them as they drilled life out of him.
Since then he has been trying to recover his money.
For two months after the incident, angry Abolore kept on going to the bank so that they can solve his problem. At a point, he finally got tired of begging the bank to do the right thing by crediting his account with the same amount illegally withdrawn from his account.
Many customers informed the magazine that they have also lost huge sums in a similar situation but that effort to get refund has always been met with resistance.
Like Abolore, some victims had tried to get the bank do the right thing but simply developed cold feet along the line, while others, bold enough to approach the court for remedy are currently stuck there, not knowing when they will get their money back.
“Some customers have got tired of going to the bank to complain, leaving the bank to God. Some who could have approached the court for reprieve cannot afford the legal fee,” said Gbemi Fatoye, legal practitioner handling one of the cases.
In the case of Abolore, he’s not ready to give up his money simply because of the wall of resistance mounted by the bank.
According to his statement of claims Abolore said “he did not orchestrate the transaction………. Neither did he “at any time authorize or instruct anybody to transact on his account, “rather the fraudulent transfer took place at midnight,” while he was sleeping after a hectic day’s work.
He explained that he has gone through hell while trying to recover his stolen money.
But “in spite of his several efforts… the transaction has not been reversed,” he said in the court papers, adding that he was “very really surprised at the unexpected quietness,” from the Abiru-led management.
He accused the bank of “a deliberate attempt to shield the suspected perpetrators of the crime,” which many believe are still in the payroll of the bank.
He may be right. The bank has been mentioned in several fraud cases in the past.
In 2013, one Yemi-Aris Olaniran, a staff of the bank was charged for defrauding the federal government of N78.52 million.
Also in February this year, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC charged Babatunde Keshinro, a staff of the bank for theft, forgery and fraudulent withdrawal of N12.6 million belonging to a customer.
Many other cases abound.
The fact that the employees that specialize in stealing money from customers’ accounts have not been exposed or sacked, even after the bank has rebranded, close watchers insist, has put a big question mark on the determination of its management to rid its ranks of thieves in the garb of employees.
Chris Adesegun, a psychologist said” when potential or existing customers read these ugly stories, they are bound to take informed decision, because nobody wants to learn from his own bitter experience.”
He said the feeling that “I may likely lose my hard earned money when I put it in a certain bank is enough” for any customer not to want to have anything to do with that particular bank, particularly “at this time when things are very tight.”
He said the bank cannot afford to live with negative stories that it’s among commercial banks in the country with the highest employee fraud index, now that things seem to be looking up and the “feelings that Polaris Bank has escaped collapse, looms large in the sector”.
When the magazine contacted the bank’s spokesman, Rasheed Bolarinwa, for his response to the issue, he did not answer his calls neither responded to text messages sent to his telephone line.
