By Esther Wright
Rokel Commercial Bank (RCB) is today one of the most progressive commercial banks in Sierra Leone as a result of reforms that were initiated and instituted by its current Managing Director, Dr Ekundayo Walton Gilpin, transforming it to become a very effective and efficient banking institution that regained the confidence of business owners, investors, traders and other corporate institutions in the country.
The Rokel Commercial Bank, it is an open secret was really collapsing due to poor management until this brilliant son of the soil was appointed as its Managing Director who wasted no time to inject sound policies that have led to this admirable transformation, evident in the opening of more branches even in hard to reach areas, the digitization of banking operations all geared towards scaling up financial inclusion.
However, from what this medium learnt it seems that with the positive transformation taking place under the leadership of Dr Ekundayo Gilpin there are some of his colleagues who are deeply dissatisfied with his leadership style and more especially because he is taking the credit for all the good things related to the growth of the bank.
History is replete of situations when leaders who are upright, disciplined and forthright have been deemed to be dictators by some who just like to have things their own ways.
The Rokel Commercial Bank is currently deeply enmeshed in this unhealthy situation where as a result of the disciplinary stance of its Managing Director, in the person of Dr. Ekundayo Walton Gilpin, some of his colleagues have decided to pitch tent against him.
Reliable sources within the Bank, who agreed to talk to this medium on conditions of anonymity and soliciting our assistance in putting to an end the present stalemate, suspicious working climate intimated that there are some within the Management structure of the Bank who just think they should not be reprimanded by the Managing Director whenever they do certain untoward things that are against laid down policies.
It was said that those who have decided to pitch tent against the MD strongly believe they are above reprimand assuming that the Rokel Commercial Bank is their personal property and should be run according to their whims and caprices with one of them for a long time now enviously eyeing the position of Managing Director which he thinks he has the right to occupy.
They continued that some of these individuals sometimes do have strong verbal exchanges with the Managing Director which they say is not good for a healthy working environment. “Even though they are all within the top Management cadre of the Bank at least there should be some form of hierarchical distinction and modicum of respect for the No1 man and this should be manifested in a respectful working relationship,” one of them averred maintaining that they would like to see a conducive working environment where love and trust prevail instead of mounting suspicions and looking over the shoulders when chatting major issues.
What they also intimated this medium was that some within the Management structure of the Bank have formed what they could dub The Evil Trinity naming the bank’s Deputy Managing Director, Emmanuel Borbor, the Legal Officer of the bank, Margret Davies nee Kamara and Abdul Rahman Mahdi, the Business Development Director at the Bank as belonging to the Trinity.
They informed that seemingly the three of them are not seeing eye to eye with the current Managing Director substantiating that assertion by making references to allegations made against him which according to them they are convinced have the propensity of denting his integrity and reputation which he has worked so hard to gain and nurture.
One among the Evil Trinity, it was disclosed, is the present Deputy Managing Director of the Bank ,Emmanuel Borbor, whom it was stated believes he has the capability to better lead or head the Bank and has manifested that ambition on various occasions.
“Well one cannot certainly determine the level of his ambition but a desperate person could be tempted to use all means necessary to get what he or she wants,” one of them underscored maintaining that such a person could utilize any slight opportunity to get or achieve what he or she has been longing to grab.
In the case of Abu Bakarr Mahdi it was alleged that since his transfer from heading the Treasury of the Bank to another post within the same bank he became disillusioned because he considers such as a form of demotion when in the actual sense that is not the case.
“But if Mr Mahdi had been complained by influential customers of the bank, on various occasions, who were threatening to quit the bank because they claimed he is too arrogant to deal with don’t you think his transfer was indeed in place as it will undermine widening the customer base?” one of them, who wants this medium to play the ‘mediating’ role, asked rhetorically.
With regards the Bank’s Legal Officer, Margret Davies nee Kamara, she is described as one who is also ambitious to rise within the ranks of the Bank. It was revealed that she has been aspiring to be appointed as one of the Directors of the Bank but was informed that the position is one that is so sensitive and must be occupied by those who truly have the academic and practical qualifications. It was stated that the Board and Management of Rokel Commercial Bank deemed that she has not convincingly proven that she is a capable and professional enough to adequately represent the bank in litigations. They cited when at one point in time legal action was instituted against the Bank to such an extent that the institution was about to be closed without much done by her to remedy the situation.
It was further revealed that when she failed in her ambition to be appointed as a Director she squarely blamed the current Managing Director for not recommending her for that and standing by her until such materializes.
In their explanation, they cited how she was a very close friend with the Managing Director, that he used to render her support, how they used to discuss other issues not related to banking maintaining that the relationship between the two was indeed cordial.
The oldest among them, in a very somber mood, pointed out that it really came as a big surprise when they learnt that Margret Davies, the Bank’s Legal Officer, made an allegation against the Managing Director of sexual harassment purporting that she has evidences of unofficial phone chats which she said the MD used to make love advances to her since 2017 only to accuse the MD in 2022 of Sexual Harassment, which to them seems fishy.
It was further understood that Margret Davies lodged a complaint to a seasoned Lawyer in the country, who in turn acted in good faith by verbally informing the Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone. The Governor, in turn, admonished the Board of the Bank to undertake an investigation into the matter.
While all these were transpiring a damning write-up was posted on Social Media in which various allegations were made against the Managing Director and the Chairman of Board of Directors, Buffy Bailor, portraying the latter as behaving cheaply and protecting the MD of wrong doings.
According to the disenchanted staff of the Bank, for argument sake, they asked assuming that even if the Managing Director had proposed an unofficial friendship to Margret Davies, what is the big deal about that. They argued that the working relationship has been professional ever since stating that to use what transpired since 2017 against the MD in 2022 when a position is not granted also smells of something very fishy.
They furthered that to any serious minded individual her latest move could only be interpreted as a calculated ploy to stab the MD on the back out of her conviction that he is the stumbling block to her ambition of becoming a Director at the bank, thinking that if he is removed from office she could get an easy ride to become a banking Director.
“It was that red meat that may have rekindled Emmanuel Borbor’s ambition to renew his zeal of occupying the seat as Managing Director of the Bank and it is likely, they assumed, that he instigated Margret to take the matter to higher authorities,” they maintained.
Based on what they said, Abdul Rahman Mahdi may have used the opportunity created by Margret Davies to nab the MD for facilitating his transfer from the Treasury – although he was later on promoted to become a Director under the leadership of the same MD.
They continued that the Board Chairman, Buffy Bailor, is an influential personality who cannot go down so low as he was portrayed in the write-up making the round on Social Media maintaining that a good number of people in and out of this country know about that.
Assuring them that, as a news outlet, we will try our level best to step in and try to resolve the seething misunderstandings although the matter is currently before that Board.
They concluded by stating that all what they want to see prevail is tranquility and a good working relationship among all members of staff maintaining that at the end of the day it is the truth that will last further underscoring how all the parties should be mindful that the Evil that men do lives after them.
More on this in subsequent editions
