I saw in one of the dailies this week and on an internet forum where I get to rub minds with people what First Bank has said about citizen extraordinaire, Durojaye Job Adeyemi, a HND II student of The Polytechnic Ibadan.
It is quite annoying that First Bank, a bank that has been in operation since 1894 will come out to wash her dirty linen in the public. I wonder what good they think they’re trying to do their already battered image by coming out to say Durojaye Job Adeyemi wanted to play a fast one by withdrawing more than he had on his account.
Now, let’s get a bit rational here. If it were to be any of these other people, the accusers, that saw a balance as huge as that on their accounts, would they not have withdrawn it? It becomes surer that they would do worse than Job is being accused of here because they are well versed and experienced in things like this.
While trying to protect their corporate integrity, I’m so certain that First Bank did not think of the outcry that would follow the ill-advised comment that Job is a fraud. I am not amazed though, the image maker of the Bank and his friends in the Press would have earned quite a few thousands of Naira to tarnish Job’s image, to bring down someone who is a million times more credible than they are.
I am happy quite some internet media have stepped into the issue. Newspapers have been publishing vox-pop to show First Bank the error of their ways, a popular website, www.saharareporters.com has also lent its voice to the debacle.
What I see here is a case of pot calling the kettle black, the asin (a breed of rat that smells) telling the obuko (Yoruba name for the he-goat) he stinks and whatever can also be related. I think, or better still, I know First Bank is trying to cover their own ineptitude by demonizing Job but no matter what they do, this guy that has got praises and knocks in equal proportions from Nigerians (praises from me though), has worked his way into Nigeria’s Hall of Fame while First Bank has willingly walked into the Hall of Shame.
Citizen Job’s Regional Overseer did not leap to his defence; he jumped and even flew to his defence. The comment credited to him in one of the dailies smacked of real anger and disappointment at First Bank’s position. Nearly everyone who commented on the issue rose in staunch support of the guy while knocking and bashing First Bank.
The Regional Overseer even claimed that it was not the first time Job was handling big money. “His department, the Youth department was entrusted with N1.2 million and they bought the church a befitting bus for everyone to see”, the Regional Overseer said.
I spoke to someone who retired from the Banking industry 10 years ago after working there for 19 years and in her exact words, “it is a fraud they should investigate. They were possibly waiting for him to come and complain. It’s something that was perpetrated possibly from the headquarters or the specific branch. First Bank is only trying to cover-up their staffers who were involved at the expense of Job”.
It is a classic case of Nigeria. First Bank is using the press because they have the cash to blow on the useless venture. Job Durojaye has no one. He has God and God alone. They only are trying to blackmail the guy and cover their own people in a bid to paint the innocent man black. It is a shame an institution of First Bank’s standing will do that.
From the least ranked staffer at First Bank to Mr. Bisi Onasanya, the MD, they have dragged themselves in the mud. Did they ever think of the counter-effect of the press war they wanted to start? Now cases will start in the Courts and lawyers will feed fat on the Bank again. This is avoidable waste.
What does it cause First Bank to celebrate Job for who he is? They would have been pardoned and the case would have encouraged some semi- honest people to do what should be done in cases like this. Right in my office, some guys engaged themselves in a shouting match over Job’s honesty. Some called him names and others defended him.
If the money were to be mistakenly wired into the account of a politician or one of our so-called big men, would they have returned the cash? Would they have screamed? Would they have told anyone? First Bank lost the chance to celebrate a true Nigerian icon and idol by resorting to petty lies, playing on the intelligence of millions of Nigerians. Whoever advised them to tell such a lie should forfeit his certificates and go back to Primary school.
I wonder if they discussed with their Legal department before their P.R department went to the press. If their Legal Advisers were privy to that, then they should possibly be de-robed and sent back to farm in their respective villages, Fat don dey enter their brain for inside office, make sun wire dem small.
For citizen Job, if the God of fire will agree, let him institute legal proceedings against First Bank. At least quite a number of us know what he can sue for. If he doesn’t want to do that, let him take it as the “Trials of Modern day Job”. However, methinks the NBA should do something to cut First Bank to size.
If First Bank wants to hear anything from an ‘enemy’, as they would call me, I think they should put their house in order. Their Inspectorate Department can do a very good job by getting to the root of the matter. Or how do we explain a situation in which about 37 percent of a Bank’s capital base is paid into someone’s account? To make matters worse, they now had to resort to babyish excuses of an error that all First Bank ATMs were credited with N9.3 billion at the time Job went to make his withdrawal. It is quite disheartening that an excuse as foolish as that will be given by First Bank, of all banks.
Those found culpable should be made to face the full weight of the law except they are ‘untouchables’ like some of us are in this country. The only pain in my heart is our penchant for making good people look bad while exalting the wicked. It is the same thing that makes our judges give a man who steals a N100 bathroom slippers a 6-month jail term with hard labour while they give a Bank Executive who stole billions of depositors’ funds an 18-month jail term which runs concurrently.
These dumb-heads who advised First Bank to blackmail and demonize Job are wrong and cannot be right again. Citizen Job, you are and remain an exemplary man. Case closed!
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