Moses Obajemu
3 September 2008
Lagos — Group Managing Director of Wema Bank Plc, Mr. Adebisi Omoyeni, resumed duty yesterday after eight months of absence.
To ensure seamless return to duty, he was accompanied to his office by stern looking policemen who provided protection for him.
THISDAY gathered that Omoyeni entered the bank's premises at about 1 pm, and consequently directed that the movement of the masterminds of the campaign to abort his tenure be restricted to stop them from having contact with the other workers.
The affected workers were said to be the spokeman of the workers, Alhaji Akorede Olorunsogo, Mr.Taiwo Amore and Mr. Samuel Adetayo. They were said to have been kept away from the workers.
Unconfirmed reports also said the acting Managing Director of the bank, Mr. John Aboh, and his three personal staff were also placed under restriction within the building for what sources said bordered on instigation of workers against Omoyeni.
Aboh was reported to have reported the matter to the CBN who appointed him in the first instance.
Unlike the previous day when the policemen at the same venue kept the peace, the policemen on duty yesterday gave no room for any form of loitering or gathering within the bank's premises.
Efforts made to talk to the bank's spokesman were abortive as he could not be reached.
Omoyeni was suspended from office on January 18, 2008 by the Central Bank of Nigeria on allegations of controversial sale of Oodua's shares in the bank, granting of N450 million housing loan to himself, among others.
In turn, he petitioned the Presidency, alleging that his ordeal was masterminded by the CBN Deputy Governor in charge of Financial System Surveillance, Mr. Tunde Lemo, who was a former chief executive officer of Wema Bank.
He accused Lemo of ganting unsecured loans to friends during his days, which led the bank to have rising bad debt portfolio in excess of N12 billion. The Presidency ordered the setting up of a committee to look into his petition.
On August 20, a stakeholders' meeting was held in Abuja where the CBN brokered a framework for the resolution of the bank's crisis. Among the resolutions of the forum are the withdrawal of ll pending suits in respect of the matter.
Though he was expected to resume last Monday, he did not as protesting workers took over the bank to voice their opposition to his return.
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