By Foday Moriba Conteh
During a Press Conference held on Wednesday 16th March, 2022 on Fort Street in Freetown, the Coordinator of Sierra Leone Civil Rights Coalition (SLCRC) Alphonso Manley has called on President Julius Maada Bio to protect Dr Gilpin whose performance at the bank has been very exceptional.
He stated that the entity is concerned about the in-fighting at the Rokel Commercial Bank maintaining that such has the propensity of sending the name of the bank to the mud.
Alphonso continued that in its investigation the CSO uncovered that certain individuals working at the bank are behind the negative propaganda on social and traditional media against the Managing Director of the Bank. Dr Ekundayo Walton Gilpin, the Civil Rights Coalition, pointed out after conducting thorough investigation, has been able to bring back the lost glory of the bank since he took over in 2017.
He furthered that official reports from the Bank’s usual annual general meetings commended the current Managing Director in terms of impressive profits margin, sound policies, innovations and other facilities which the bank now offers to its customers.
According to him, it is on that grounds that they have developed an interest in this matter adding how from interviews conducted with a cross-section of staff at the bank, the majority praised the current Managing Director for his good work and astute leadership and as well dispelled the sexual harassment allegation against the MD as propaganda and part of the Pull Him Down (PhD) syndrome.
He also stated that it was also brought to their attention that a particular member of staff by the name of Abdul Rahman Mahdi (Business Development Director) who has been in that bank for over thirty years has a hand in all of the negative propaganda going on social and traditional media against the current MD.
Manley pointed out that the Mahdi in question is alleged to have been so rude and arrogant to customers to the extent that most valuable customers were aggrieved and left the bank before 2017.
He maintained that Mahdi’s anger and frustration against the current MD, according to their investigation, were because Dr Gilpin took certain decisions on reforms which he considered blocking his ‘deals’.
He continued that even though the Coalition is not a judge on the matter it, however, it wants to see that an investigation is mounted into the operations of the aforementioned Mr. Mahdi whose name, the CSO says, has been mentioned by customers as the virus at RCB.
“There are complaints of him molesting female staff at the bank and as well bragging that he is filthy rich and can do anything to maintain his position,” Manley .
He went on to reveal that according to investigation, Mahdi was the Finance Manager of the Bank for ten years, a position he occupied before the arrival of Dr Gilpin adding how he is also reported to have been the root cause for many customers to quit the bank because of his bad attitude.
The Coordinator pointed out that the Coalition is therefore calling on President Julius Maada Bio to protect Dr Gilpin whose performance at the bank has been very exceptional adding that records from the RCB AGM state that the bank before the arrival of Dr Gilpin was only generating profits margin below two billion.
Alphonso Manley ended by saying that since Dr Gilpin took over as head of the bank he has raised the bar to eight billion Leones as profit margin, a record many believe is the reason for him bagging national and international awards.
“In lieu of the above, the Coalition is calling on the Board of Directors to suspend Mr. Abdul Raman Mahdi with immediate effect and the Anti Corruption Commission to investigate his alleged unexplained wealth,” the Civil Rights Coalition Coordinator further demanded.
