The United Bank for Africa
Plc (UBA) once again demonstrated its commitment to excellence in customer
service, by celebrating staff who have strived to implement the Bank’s core
values of Enterprise, Excellence and Execution.
At the event held at the
Eko Hotel Expo Centre, Lagos, Nigeria, UBA gathered
customers, captains of
industry, dignitaries from politics and diplomacy, staff and Board members from
its 19 African country network, to witness the 2017 UBA CEO Awards.
The prestigious annual
event was first established in 2008 to celebrate outstanding performance within
the UBA Pan-African family, showcasing excellence, significant innovation and
service in key areas of the Group’s business.
UBA’s industry-leading
recent promotion of 3000 staff members illustrated the Bank’s appreciation of
their contributions and their service delivery to customers. Amongst a
distinguished audience, the Bank and senior management on Saturday night again
celebrated its staff at the CEO Awards Ceremony, in UBA’s inimitable style –
bringing together Lions and Lionesses from across Nigeria and Africa.
Over 10 Awards were given.
Of each award category, the GMD, Kennedy Uzoka said “We recognise and appreciate
that there are so many staff members who have demonstrated aspects of each of
our core values, but we have had to single out the very best. We celebrate our
Lions and Lionesses who used their ingenuity and creativity, as well as their
industry experience and passion, to work tirelessly to deliver excellent
service to our customers and to continue to achieve exceptional results within
the Group’.
There were winners who had
excelled in innovation and execution across Africa. There were also those who
were rewarded for their entrepreneurial abilities. The CEO of UBA Ghana, Mrs
Abiola Bawuah was chosen in the special award category of “Business Leader who
defied all odds and opened up new opportunities for the Bank”. Mrs Bawuah was
described by the GMD as ‘a relentless CEO who breaks barriers, extends the
horizon and motivates, inspires and encourages others.’
The Award which stole the
show went to Ibrahim Ogbanagbo, the UBA security staff at the UBA Oba Akran
branch in Lagos, who found $10,000 cash belonging to a customer and returned it
to the customer. Ogbanagbo talked about how the $10,000 could have changed his
life and how he could have taken it, but how his upbringing, as well as UBA’s
value and focus on Integrity would never have allowed him to do so. He was
given the Excellence Award for his display of honesty and integrity.
The Group Chairman, Tony
Elumelu went on stage to congratulate Ogbonagbo personally. Elumelu said that
Ogbanagbo exemplified someone who is committed to the hallmarks of Excellence
in the execution of his duties.
“This is an example
to us all. How anyone, no matter their position in our Group can distinguish
themselves and set an example. Today, we stand here to celebrate a junior UBA
staff member, who returned money that was misplaced and who through this
action, gained much more than he could ever have imagined. As a leading
pan-African bank, this is what we stand for and we commend Ibrahim Ogbonagbo
for living the principle of integrity.”
Mr Ogbonagbo was not only
recognized and awarded the 2017 CEO Excellence Award, but he warmed the hearts
and minds of many. He received a standing ovation, as well as rewards
from dignitaries in the audience who came on stage to acknowledge him. The
Governor of Adamawa State in Nigeria, Alhaji Bindo Jibralla pledged the
sum of $5,000 and he also received a personal commitment of $10,000 from the
Governor of Bauchi state, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar. The Deputy
Senate president, present at the event, Senator Ekweremadu said that
Ogbanagbo’s name will be announced at the floor of the Senate (on Tuesday)
during plenary and will be given the sum of N5,000,000 by the Senate.
The theme for the night was
“the Journey of UBA”, brought to life by an African entertainment concept,
crisscrossing the length and breadth of Africa and highlighting UBA’S
Pan-African vision, starting with its oldest region, West Africa and showcasing
East and Southern Africa, as well as the significant presence of an African
Bank in New York, London and Paris. There was dance and prose, rhythm and
theatre . There were also loved artistes including Dare Art-Alade who opened
the show with a terrific rendition of the Nigerian National Anthem, Adekunle
Gold, Dr. Sid, Flavor N’abania, P-Square, Awilo Longomba from the Congo and the
undisputed King of Juju music, King Sunny Ade. Guests and dignitaries,
management and staff of UBA found themselves letting their hair down and
throwing protocol to the wind.
The Bank was honoured by
the presence of their Excellencies, the Governors of Adamawa and Taraba States,
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ekweremadu, Governor Donald Duke, Alhaji
Abdul- Samad Rabiu and many others. The ceremony also witnessed the
presence of key industry players, diplomats, ministers and key influencers in
Nigeria, as well as the CEOs and Board Chairmen of the 19 African countries in
which UBA operates, democratising banking for over 14 million customers.
In all it was a night to
remember, an evening of reward and celebration, and perhaps most poignantly,
the story of how the integrity and honesty of a UBA security staff could become
the role model of an African group of over 25,000 people and a symbol of the
paramount commitment of UBA to its customers.
United Bank for
Africa Plc is a leading pan-African financial services group, with presence in
19 African countries, as well as the United Kingdom, the United States of
America and France.
UBA was incorporated in
Nigeria as a limited liability company after taking over the assets of the
British and French Bank Limited who had been operating in Nigeria since 1949.
The United Bank for Africa merged with Standard Trust Bank in 2005 and from a single
country operation founded in 1949 in Nigeria - Africa's largest economy - UBA
has become one of the leading providers of banking and other financial services
on the African continent. The Bank provides services to over14 million
customers globally, through one of the most diverse service channels in
sub-Saharan Africa, with over 1,000 branches and customer touch points and
robust online and mobile banking platforms.
UBA was the first Nigerian
bank to make an Initial Public Offering, following its listing on the NSE
in1970. It was also the first Nigerian bank to issue Global Depository
Receipts. The shares of UBA are publicly traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange
and the Bank has a well-diversified shareholder base, which includes foreign
and local institutional investors, as well as individual shareholders.
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