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Zenith Bank: Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe Releases Certified True Copy (CTC) of her Judgment, Call Out Fake and Junk Journalist

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Contrary to the widely reported fake news by some faceless online news platform that Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Ikeja Special Offences Court in his recent judgement allegedly accused foremost financial management in Nigeria, Zenith Bank of fraud and bribery, the astute judge who is bitter with such report have released the original certified True Copy. 

 

In the original certified True Copy, it was confirmed that the respectable Justice never said something of such while delivering her judgement.

 

According to Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, all what the online media platforms said she delivered, were all fake and wondered how and where they got their own reports.

 

The certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment is now in the open for anyone to see.

 

These online platforms had reported that the Justice accused Zenith Bank Plc of bribing both the judges and lawyers for 11 years to pervert justice, with several online media outlets alleging that Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe made the claim on Tuesday, March 8, 2022 while delivering judgment in a suit marked LD/ADR/186/2014 between Real Integrated and Hospitality Limited as claimant and Zenith Bank Plc and State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB) as first and second defendants respectively.

 

One such publication quotes the judge as saying “My recommendation is that Zenith Bank is a fraud and people must be very careful in their dealings with the bank.”

 

Some of the other quotes read: “Zenith Bank bribed the lawyers in the matter.

 

“This they have done for 11 years. So many lawyers and judges have been bribed in this matter just perverting justice. What is more embarrassing, the current governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele was the one who came to navigate and begged for the deposit. He has not been able to do anything to Zenith Bank because he was the managing director of the bank at the time of this transaction.”

 

However, nowhere in the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment that was made available to credible news platforms showed that the Judge did not make such statements.

 

While the Judge did make a scathing criticism of the bank, Justice Fadipe did not accuse Zenith bank of bribing judges and lawyers for 11 years to fraudulently alter the course of justice, as claimed by the online mediums.

 

There was also no mention of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele in the CTC of the judgment.

 

The judge’s comments, as contained in the judgement, include: “The 1st defendant has been the beneficiary of the malevolent game of chess it plunged both claimant and the 2nd defendant into, holding the sum of N872,780,552.84 in its custody without paying interest thereon from 17th February 2011 until 2nd February 2016 when the Court ordered that the money be paid into an interest yielding account in the names of the claimant and the 2nd defendant pending determination of the suit, which order was curiously varied by the consent of all the parties on 20th September 2016 so that the money remained in the 1st defendant’s custody without interest.

 

“The act of the 1st defendant was unconscionable and detrimental to the goodwill of the claimant and its trade credit with its customers. It was a deliberate and malicious act against the interest of the claimant and the 1st defendant continues to enjoy the largesse in bad faith. Exhibits C4 and C5 clearly state that the funds to be transferred were to offset part of the claimant’s indebtedness for the importation of dictionaries, but the 1st defendant was impervious to this need. I therefore find and hold that the claimant is entitled to substantial damages against the 1st defendant for the injury caused to it.”

 

The judge made the comments while granting the claimants four reliefs.

 

The reliefs are that the 1st defendant (Zenith) was in breach of contract when on 7th October, 2011 it refused the claimant to draw from its account No. 1012465427 “despite the fact that the said account was in enough credit to cover the withdrawals sought to be made on the said date.”

 

The judge further restrained the bank “from disturbing or refusing the claimant from operating its account No. 1012465427 in the 1st defendant’s bank or from honouring the claimant’s transfer or payment obligations to third parties from the said account as long as same is in credit.”

 

It granted an “interest of 15% per annum on the sum of N872,780,552.84 from 7th October 2011 when the 1st defendant denied the claimant access to the funds in its account which was in credit at that date till judgment.

 

“Interest on the judgment sum at the rate of 10% per annum from judgment date till final liquidation thereof.

 

“Costs of this action in the sum of N2.5million.”

 

Of a truth, Zenith Bank has had a record of open and transparent operations, this earned the organization four SERAS CSR Africa Awards that include “Best Company in Reporting and Transparency”, “Best Company in Infrastructure Development”, “Best Company in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment”, and the coveted “Most Responsible Organisation in Africa”.

 

In recognition of its track record of excellent performance, Zenith Bank was voted as Best Commercial Bank in Nigeria in the World Finance Banking Awards 2021, Best Bank in Nigeria in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards 2020 and 2021, Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards 2020, and Best in Corporate Governance ‘Financial Services’ Africa 2020 and 2021 by the Ethical Boardroom. Also, the bank emerged as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands 2020 and 2021, Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital in the “2021 Top 1000 World Banks” Ranking by The Banker Magazine and the Retail Bank of the year at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BOFI) Awards 2020 and 2021.

 

Zenith Bank has continued to distinguish itself in the Nigerian financial services industry through superior service offerings, unique customer experience and sound financial indices. The bank remains a clear leader in the digital space with several firsts in the deployment of innovative products, solutions and an assortment of alternative channels that ensure convenience, speed and safety of transactions.

 

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Oando, Lagos Begin Operation Of Electric Mass Transit Buses

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Oando Clean Energy Limited, the renewable energy subsidiary of Oando, in partnership with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, on Tuesday, marked the formal commencement of operations of Oando’s electric mass transit buses at the Lagos Bus Services Limited Head Office, Ilupeju, Lagos.

A statement from Oando stated that the initiative aimed at transitioning the Lagos State public transport system through the development of a pathway to a carbon free mobility ecosystem within the state.

It stated that the buses would provide a viable, competitive, and environmentally friendly alternative to the current internal combustion engine mass transit buses.

The Managing Director, LAMATA, Abinbola Akinajo, highlighted the importance of public-private-partnerships, by stating that “this initiative is a major aspect of our vision for transportation in Lagos State, we are desirous of having a clean and efficient transportation system.

“Today’s event is proof of our desire to involve the private sector in our activities to give the average Lagosian the ability to meet their mobility needs.  LAMATA is a multi-fuel transport regulatory agency for Lagos, hence the partnership with OCEL for the use of EV buses in passenger operations.

“From LAMATA’s perspective we are open to do business with the private sector while ensuring that these partners are aligned with the vision of Lagos state.  I am elated that in just over a year that Oando Clean Energy came to us to discuss the possibility of working with us in the deployment of electric buses we have signed an MoU with a key deliverable being the implementation of a PoC that would allow us finally include electric buses in our ecosystem.”

On his part, the commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Lagos State, Engr Olalere Odusote , said “We had identified transportation as a major cause of pollutants and health problems in the State. For us, this initiative is another step we’re taking as a Government to ensure we clean up the environment in addition to ongoing initiatives in the energy sector.”

Speaking at the event, the president/CEO of OCEL, Dr. Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune noted that it was an opportunity for Oando and Lagos State government to revolutionise transport in the country, especially Lagos.

“In the very near future, we will have a multitude of locally trained engineers who are capable of operating, maintaining, and servicing these buses and other renewable energy assets,” he added.

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‘Our Electric Buses can travel up to 280km on a Full Battery Charge’- Oando Group tells Lagos Residents

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‘Be the start of something that is good, revolutionary and powerful. Everything after that is a bonus!’

The OANDO group and its team of experts must have had the above quote by Carlos Wallace in mind when they embarked on the journey to revolutionise motoring in Nigeria and introduced the first set of fuel less vehicles into system.

Determined to be part of the revolution to end air pollution which ultimately has been made worse by the emission of  toxic elements destroying our planet, the Oando Clean Energy Limited (OCEL) made history with its inroad into the transportation business in Lagos State.

The organisation, in April 2023 acquired and took delivery of an undisclosed number of electric vehicles from Chinese carmaker, Yutong Bus. 

OCEL is the clean energy arm of Oando Plc, largely owned by Wale Tinubu. His company had earlier signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Lagos State Government through the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) on April 28, 2022.

Following the delivery of the vehicles to OCEL, curious Nigerians have been asking questions about the viability of electric vehicles in the country. Expectedly, this elicited a robust response from the company when it took to its twitter handle express its readiness to kick-start the novel project.

The company said: “Following our recent announcement about introducing electric mass transit buses in Lagos State, we noticed many questions about the viability of electric vehicles in our terrain, battery lifespan, and more. But don’t worry; we have got you covered!

“So, let us challenge ourselves to reach new heights, to discover new horizons, and to achieve greatness.

“For it is through our willingness to dream big and take bold action that we can create a better tomorrow for ourselves and those around us.

“Great ideas have the power to transform the impossible into the possible. They inspire us to see the world in a new light and to push beyond our boundaries.”

The company also took time to explain how the fuelless vehicles would be put to use in Nigeria. “Our electric buses can travel up to 280km on a full battery charge, which is equivalent to a round trip from Ajah to Ibadan! 

“Additionally, the regenerative braking system helps the battery to last longer and reduces maintenance costs.” 

Meanwhile, commenting on the acquisition and deal between the state and his firm, Wale Tinubu, who is the Chairman of OCEL, said: “The arrival of our electric mass transit buses and development of an EV infrastructure ecosystem is a reminder that the only way to remain ahead of the curve is by being unafraid to break new ground and consistently looking for opportunities to leapfrog.

“Public-Private Partnerships have been critical to getting the project to this point and will continue to fuel our expansion across the entire country.

“The commencement of this project gives us a platform to showcase to other States what is possible and open the door for engagements on bespoke solutions to suit their local needs as well as act as a model to be adopted by other organizations looking to venture into sustainable transportation.”

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REA CEO Salihijo Denies Wrongdoing In Contract Award

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The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mr. Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, has denied allegation that bothers on “breach of contract code”, raised by Donnington Nigeria Limited.
Salihijo, while responding to a petition to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) by the firm denied any wrong doing.
The allegation had claimed that the MD/CEO, was a Director in Velocity Logistics and Marine Services Ltd (Velocity) while equally serving as the MD/CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency.
In providing clarification on the issue, Salihijo, said, “It became necessary to respond to this claim as it is untrue and defamatory. For the sake of clarity, I want to emphasize that my employment history had been thoroughly vetted and approved by the appropriate authorities, upon my assumption to the role of MD/CEO at the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) on the 29th of December, 2019.”
Continuing, he said, “Prior to taking on this critical role at the Agency, I had been in the private sector and had equally relinquished my position as one of the Directors of Velocity as far back as 25th of April, 2019, long before I was appointed MD/CEO of the REA.”
These details, he affirmed, are accessible and available at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
In addition, he said, as an administrator committed to serve while upholding the mandate of the Agency, he acted with the highest ethical standards and has never engaged in any behavior conflict with the interest of my position as the MD/CEO of REA.
“I am in no way privy to any and all business dealings between Donnington Nigeria Limited and Velocity as I have had no connection whatsoever with Velocity since 25th of April, 2019. It is unfortunate that this publication was made and directed to harm my reputation, defame my character and that of the agency I lead.
“I hereby demand that, the publisher and the petitioner retract this unfounded allegation, publish a rejoinder to set the records straight, and desist from further defamatory publications.

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