Matthew Don, Washington DC
Fidelity Bank Plc has every reason to boast of staff motivation because of the huge investment the board and management make in that direction.
Besides, investing in the personnel seems to be at the centre of the incredible financial report Fidelity bank has been getting to the admiration of the investors and esteemed customers.
That explains why Fidelity Bank on Thursday described as ‘untrue’ our exclusive story which had exposed the reign of hatred, tribalism, favouritism, ethnicism, religious sentiments, and staff bullying in its banking halls.
Tagged: “Fidelity Bank risks major set back as tribalism, favouritism reign in banking hall,” Charles Aigbe, divisional head, Brand and Communications, Fidelity Bank contacted our Lagos office representative and pleaded for the story to be “pulled down” from our website. But he was rather asked to provide the bank’s own ‘true’ side of the story or be served with additional information unknown to the bank.
This Online Newspaper reporter had revealed hidden causes of brewing discontent among the Fidelity bank staff following an informal discussion with an ex-staff of the bank who was on transit at the ever busy Heathrow Airport, London.
The banker who threw in his towel recently simply said: “I could no longer cope with the things I saw in the bank. There is a new trend masterminded by the few selfish staff and I had to resign.”
Aigbe had said: “The story is not true. Staff motivation is high. The financial performance of the bank in recent times is testament to this.”
In the nine months (9M) to September 30, 2018, breakdown of Fidelity Bank Plc operating expenses shows staff cost by N392 million or 2.3 percent to N16.747 billion down from N17.139 million in 9M’2017. The bank’s Gross Earnings in the review 9M’18 period was N139.001 billion, which represented N8.916 billion or 6.9 percent increase from N130.086 billion as at 9M’17.
Total Expense increased by N3.069 billion or 6.5 percent, from N47.486 billion in 9M’17 to N50.555 billion in 9M’18. Out of this total expense in (Q3) period, Fidelity Bank’s expense in travelling and accommodation increase by N107 million or 22.8 percent from N467 million in 9M’17 to N574 million in 9M’18. Fidelity Bank Plc’s legal expenses’ spend increased by N262 million or 196.9 percent, from N133 million in 9M’17 to N396 million in 9M’18.
The management of Fidelity Bank is particular about the quality of people who join the system and they expect a member of “Team Fidelity” to have among other qualities, the “Character” – that is a total quality of integrity which will guide the talent and ambition to productive ends.
In 9M’18, the bank spent N529 million in training for its staff, up N279 million or 111.4 percent against N250 million in 9M’17.
But the Fidelity Bank ex-staff told this reporter that the character of the current Regional Operations Supervisor (ROS) in Ikeja (name withheld) contradicts sharply the management’s staff character and high motivation efforts.
Armadanews.com was told: “The ROS, an ex-staff of United Bank for Africa Plc was given this bigger role in Fidelity Bank Plc based on his alleged connection with the Chief Operations and Information Officer of the bank, (name withheld). He is a ‘small god’ in the Fidelity Bank Ikeja region, but there is an ‘Almighty God’.
“He is a tribalist and an Islamic religious fanatic. He develops hatred for his subordinates without reasons. This is a supervisor who speaks to his subordinates with non-motivating words like ‘You are foolish’, ‘Are you stupid?’, ‘Are you mad?’, ‘Are you crazy?’, ‘I will sack you’ and so on.”
Asked why such a person is still kept in a bank that prides itself as a bank of the future the source said: “No doubt, comments like these are against Fidelity Bank’s core values which include respect and shared ambition and they are rarely heard in today’s 21st century banking halls.
“The truth is that there are so many things that go on in the branches and regions that the headquarters are not aware of. Some of the Business Development Managers, the ROS, and other supervisors even carry on as if they are the owners of the bank. They also work hard to cover their tracks and inadequacies that are not in tune with the policy and dream of the owners and management of the bank.
“The ROS was a junior staff in UBA Plc before he joined Fidelity Bank’s E-banking Group, a department he couldn’t make necessary head ways before he was given safe landing in operations about two years by his so-called godfather.
“If you are not in his good book, just forget it, you are heading to nowhere or so it seems. It is a pity this man shows his anger even on the social media.
“I learnt some of my then female colleagues he sent friendship requests on Facebook and they ignored, noticed enmity started automatically. Those that had accepted and noticed he turned spies to their social media life couldn’t but unfriend him and thereafter he uses it against them at workplace. It is that bad.”