By Kennedy Mbele

16 years after their disengagement by former employers, ex-banks’ staff members retrenched during the 2005 banking re-capitalization converged in an office located in a mechanics’ compound at Aina Eleko Street, Maryland, Lagos to urge the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and the National Deposit Insurance Commission, NDIC, to pay their severance benefits which the agencies have been delaying and for which they have obtained a judgment against the agencies. 

Precisely, the group, identified as Association of Ex- Staff of Non-Consolidated Banks Nigeria, wants the two government agencies to obey the ruling of an Industrial Court sitting at Ikoyi, Lagos which directed that they should be paid off after their exit from five defunct banks and the successful sale of the banks 16 years ago.

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The audience listened with disbelief as the Chairman of the group, Magnus Maduka, narrated the effects of their disengagement and non-payment of their severance benefits on their families and other dependants since 2006.

He said over 350 of his former colleagues are dead while many are warming up badly, if nothing is urgently done to enable them initiate proper treatment for their various ailments such as high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, ulcer and blindness among others.

The ex-banker, who left Hallmark Bank PLC as a Deputy General Manager, explained that their ordeal emanated from the fact that the banks that acquired their former employers, which he listed as Gulf Bank, Allstates Trust Bank, Trade Bank, Hallmark Bank and Metropolitan Bank (now defunct), did not buy them together with their liabilities which, he said, was contrary to the normal practice.

His words: “Naturally, when a company goes into liquidation, the entity acquiring it is expected to assume both its assets and liabilities, but in our own case, the banks that bought our former employers were permitted to assume only the assets of the non-consolidated banks, leaving their liabilities, which included our terminal benefits”.

Speaking on how the protracted delay in the payment of their severance package compelled them to seek redress in court, the Chairman, who described the outcome as ‘no victor, no vanquished’, explained they only went to court to test the justice of the agencies’ decision, rather than take the law into their hands.

According to him, NDIC had assured them of paying the severance benefits  right from the time they were disengaged and even re-assured them of same when the group confronted them upon receipt of information that  City Express Bank and Lead Bank had paid their disengaged staff.

He recalled their letter to former President Goodluck Jonathan, appealing to him to consider the plight of their ailing members by prevailing on the apex bank and NDIC to pay their entitlements which, he said, fell on deaf ears.

Maduka was, however, glad to announce that, an Industrial Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos awarded the body victory on May 23, 2022 and expressed optimism that the CBN and NDIC would pay them without further delay because, according to him, they served meritoriously and the total amount involved which, he said, totals over N5 billion is not too much for the CBN to handle.

Sunday Vanguard spoke with some members of the group as well as dependants of their deceased members on their ordeals.

ORDEALS

Uzoma John: Only child of a former staff of Allstates Trust Bank PLC, the late Ubile Debofori – Armed with his late mother’s photograph, Uzoma spoke with a heart full of sorrow: “My mum, late Dibofori Ubile, was a staff member of Allstates Trust Bank.

“While she was with them, everything was glorious, life was good and easy.

“I was in secondary school and her desire was to send me to Canada for my university education.

“Our story changed drastically when she was retrenched following the bank’s inability to meet the re-capitalization benchmark of N25 billion.

“Life became unbearable for her. She did everything possible to get her life back on track but to no avail.

“She relocated to the village and tried to do so many other things but it was never as good as when she was working in the bank.

“Frustration set in and she fell ill. Despite her illness, she continued pushing hard for things to get better but unfortunately she died”.

He struggled to control tears which rolled down his cheeks before continuing.

“My life and every other thing about my future changed. Each time I remember her struggles and pains, after her disengagement, I weep.

“I am appealing to the CBN, NDIC and other authorities concerned, to kindly obey the court’s ruling and pay the entitlement of my late mum so that her struggle and pains will not be in vain”

Okorie Moses: Former staff member, Hallmark Bank PLC for 15 years, said life has never been the same since his forceful exit from the bank in 2006.

He recalled how former CBN Governor, Professor Charles Soludo promised to pay their entitlements within 90 days but never fulfilled it. According to him, most of the children of affected bankers, including his, had to drop out of school due lack of funds after their retrenchment and non-payment of their severance package.

Some, he said, died due to hunger and lack of medical care.

Moses capped up their predicament with a list of some of his departed colleagues at Hallmark Bank: Albert Anyiam, James Anah, Chukwuemeka Nosike, Innocent Ibeakalam, Chris Njemanze, Sam Okoroafor, Blessing Ekweme and Oloyode Morgan. Others were Basil Ahumuibe, Ajegba John Eigege, Ernest Onyewuchi Akata, Chukwuma Umahi and Ifeyinwa Obidiegwu.

Edith Njemanze, wife of one of those mentioned by Moses, also spoke with us. She explained that her late husband was a pioneer staff member of the bank.

Her words: “Having given the best of his productive years to Hallmark Bank since the bank’s formation in 1991, it seemed a harsh reality when my husband’s job and the bank’s activities were grounded to an abrupt halt.

“Without any form of compensation, life became increasingly difficult for our family.

“We struggled to see our children through tertiary education. After many years of untold hardship and agony, he took ill, underwent a biopsy operation which was diagnosed to be Multiple Myeloma.

“Under normal circumstances, we would have been able to seek proper medical attention; but with little or no funds available to us, we resorted to over-the-counter medication at the initial stage. “At a point, we were unable to continue funding the weekly chemotherapy prescribed at BMH Port Harcourt.

“The hope of getting his entitlements from Hallmark Bank kept my husband going but not for too long.

“On April 1, 2019, my husband died from the illness”. She sobbed uncontrollably.

“I know that there are other staff members of Hallmark Bank PLC who have suffered this injustice over the years, leading to other tragic events that could have been avoided with money.

“It is my hope that Hallmark Bank staff members get their entitlements in line with the court verdict”

On his part, Bebara Rhodes, said: “I was a staff member of Allstates Trust Bank and worked in Enerhen Branch, Warri, and Head Office at Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos as well as Revenues Collection Unit, Apapa.

“Just three months after our forced disengagement, my wife was struck with stroke due to the rude shock she had when she got the news of my disengagement.

“I was unable to obtain proper medical treatment. She died within three months.

“Since then, I have been out of job till date and as such sustained by the Almighty God through friends and relatives”

Maduka, Chairman of the group and a former Deputy General Manager in charge of Operations and ICT at Hallmark Bank Nigeria PLC, also shared his own story with us: “My disengagement represented a serious discount for my family.

“We cannot exhaust the effects but I can only say that it was tough and the Almighty God has been helping us.

“Presently, I am a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God but I shall be retiring next month.  when I will be 70.

“Prior to this, I was a stock broker. I had also worked with Global Fleet Oil but with my retirement two months away, I hope on my severance benefits and pray it’s paid now”.

TOUGH TIME

Ebimowei Suoye, a former Head, Operations, Allstates Trust Bank, Ebute Meta Branch, Lagos, also had this to say:

“It was a very tough time although I was much younger then. We are talking of 17 years ago when I could still search for other jobs.

“I searched for another job and was able to join Ecobank three months after my disengagement.

“But even with that, it was not easy at all. I left Ecobank last year. So, I am now retired. As a retiree, I need cash to start a business. NDIC must come to our aid by paying us now as directed by the court”.

Vincent Elelegwu, former Branch Head, Marketing, Allsates Trust Bank PLC, equally speaking, narrated: “I worked for the bank for 15 years before being laid off.

“My leaving had a very rough effect on me and my family.”

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