The tent and Odunayo(credits: Temitayo Famutimi)



Olubiyi Odunaro, a 53-year-old former employee of Hallmark Bank Plc., has embarked on hunger strike to protest against non-payment of his terminal benefit.

Besides, the ex-banker has turned a garden on Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Way into his new home, vowing to remain there until he is paid his benefits.

Hallmark Bank was one of the banks which did not meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s recapilatisation policy in 2005 resulting in its folding up.

Odunaro, a senior manager of the defunct bank, said he began the hunger strike on November 12.

When our correspondent visited him on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, opposite Opebi U Turn Road junction, on Tuesday, he was seen reading a novel ‘Long walk to freedom’ by Nelson Mandela.

He explained that he embarked on the protest to expose the insensitivity of the Federal Government to pay the terminal entitlements of over 14,000 employees of the 14 banks that failed to meet up with the recapitalisation policy.

Odunaro said he wrote President Goodluck Jonathan on October 24 informing him of his decision to embark on the hunger strike if the agencies concerned did not pay them their entitlements on or before October 31.

He said, “I feel downcast with the turn of events in our country and I drew the passion to embark on a hunger strike from my disenchantment to the deliberate denial of common citizens’ rights.

“Before, I began this hunger strike, I sought the consent of my family members and I also underwent a comprehensive medical examination. I erected that tent with N27,000 and it is now my new home.”

Asked if his health has not been deteriorating, Odunaro said, “Though I take water at 8pm everyday, It’s gradually taking a toll on me as I have started losing weight.

“My personal doctor came to examine me on Friday and he said I am not doing bad health wise. There have been pleas from friends and other loved ones to end this strike. But, I will continue with the hunger strike until the FG pays us our lawful entitlements.”

He lamented that despite the laid down procedures contained in the Guidelines and Incentives on Consolidation in the Nigerian Banking Industry, they had not been attended to.

He said, “It wasn’t our wish or our making to be out of jobs. The CBN in its own wisdom introduced the recapitalisation policy and afterwards withdrew the operating licence of Hallmark Bank where I worked and 13 other banks for failing to meet up with the recapitalisation policy deadline.

“But, seven years on, the guidelines on consolidation which make provision for our compensation in view of the development had not been followed.”

He said despite writing several letters of appeal as a group to the FG and other relevant agencies concerning the issue, they had been ignored.

He said, “On a personal note, I even took it upon myself to get President Goodluck Jonathan informed by posting series of comments about this issue on his Facebook page.

“Unfortunately, nothing has been done and many of us live a deplorable way of life with the majority unable to meet obligations to their children and other dependants.

“Thirty-eight people from just three banks that I know of have died and one of the employees of Hallmark Bank committed suicide in Aba, Abia State, as a result of his inability to eke out a living.”

virtuoso01: This is not funny.

The FG should seriously do something about helping these people.

Before embarking on the hunger strike, Odunaro was resident in Jos, known as the Home of peace and tourism, and capital of Plateau State. But many Nigerians woke up last Monday, November 12, to see that a strange man had pitched a white tent in one of the open spaces opposite Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos State capital. Inquests reveal that the man was Odunaro, seeking justice, not only for himself, but also for 14, 000 others, whose benefits had been seized by Nigerian government and its agencies. Inside the tent was a mattress as well as two books to keep him occupied while the strike lasted. Through an inscription on the white tent, Odunaro called on President Goodluck Jonathan to pay the terminal benefits of the ex-staffers of the non-consolidated banks.

Incidentally, some of his colleagues who were also affected by the non-payment of their terminal benefits were also always there to give him support. Some of them were Salami Abbas, former Regional Manager, Lagos West Regional Operation; Emmanuel Echewodor, Principal Driver; Ekpo Emmanuel, Assistant Supervisor; and Ezekwu Raymond, Supervisor.

Odunaro, was Head of Special Product before the recapitalisation exercise that took him out of the banking business. He said the past seven years had been hell, as they had been calling on the Federal Government and its agencies – CBN and NDIC to pay their terminal benefits without any positive response.

DAILY POST
Ex-banker goes berserk, abandons home on hunger strike, because of FG’s failure to pay terminal benefits
Posted about 4 hours ago | 1 comment


For Mr. Olubiyi Odunaro, former employee of the defunct Hallmark Bank Plc, life indeed has not been a bed of roses.

In a bid to make Federal Government pay his terminal benefit, the 53-year old man who claimed to have been on hunger strike since November 12, has also turned part of the garden on Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Way, Lagos into his new home. The ex-banker vowed to remain unmoved until he gets his dues.

It could be recalled in 2005 when Central Bank of Nigeria adopted a recapitalization policy for all Banks, unfortunately Hallmark was one of the banks which did not meet with the order, thus, it folded up and rendered all its employees jobless.

When Newsmen visited Odunaro in his self made home in the garden, he was caught reading a novel written by Nelson Mandela with the title ‘Long walk to freedom’.

Speaking further on the major reasons he chose to suffer himself in such manner, a dark aged man explained that he embarked on the protest to fight for his rights and that of his affected colleagues of about 14,000 people from the 14 banks that failed to meet up with the recapitalization policy. He also intend to expose the insensitivity of the Federal Government to pay the terminal entitlements.

Recalling the steps he took before the self imposed hunger strike, Odunaro said he wrote to President Goodluck Jonathan on October 24 informing him of his decision to go without food if the agencies concerned did not pay them their entitlements on or before October 31.

According to him, “I feel downcast with the turn of events in our country and I drew the passion to embark on a hunger strike from my disenchantment to the deliberate denial of common citizens’ rights.
“Before, I began this hunger strike, I sought the consent of my family members and I also underwent a comprehensive medical examination. I erected that tent with N27,000 and it is now my new home.”

Lamenting on the deteriorating condition of his health,  Odunaro said, “Though I take water at 8pm every day, It’s gradually taking a toll on me as I have started losing weight.

“But My personal doctor came to examine me on Friday and he said I am not doing bad health wise. There have been pleas from friends and other loved ones to end this strike, but I will continue with the hunger strike until the FG pays us our lawful entitlements.”

He also grieved over Federal Government’s non adherence to the  laid down procedures contained in the Guidelines and Incentives on Consolidation in the Nigerian Banking Industry

“It wasn’t our wish or our making to be out of jobs. The CBN in its own wisdom introduced the recapitalization policy and afterwards withdrew the operating license of Hallmark Bank where I worked and 13 other banks for failing to meet up with the recapitalization policy deadline.

“But, seven years on, the guidelines on consolidation which make provision for our compensation in view of the development had not been followed.

On a personal note, I even took it upon myself to get President Goodluck Jonathan informed by posting series of comments about this issue on his Facebook page.

Unfortunately, nothing has been done and many of us live a deplorable way of life with the majority unable to meet obligations to their children and other dependants.

Thirty-eight people from just three banks that I know of have died and one of the employees of Hallmark Bank committed suicide in Aba, Abia State, as a result of his inability to eke out a living”, he said painfully.

phecs: If all nigerians can go on hunger strike to stp corruption and corrupt leaders it wl definately stop.

yuzedo: Motherf(u)cking Legislooters and Presidency officials are going to pay themselves elephant bonuses this Christmas (for failure) in addition to their ridiculous monthly salaries and allowances, while Pensioners die by the day. Is it by force to "serve" in Government??!?? Triple-F(u)ck all those motherf(u)ckers mehn! Pay these niggers their gaddem entitlements you bast(a)rd leeches and crooks feasting on the commonwealth!I pay my f(u)cking taxes so it hurts like hell to see my deductions go into subsidizing the insidiously ostentatious lifestyles of these thieving politicians!
My Heckler and Koch has a mind of its own.... DON'T PISS "US" OFF!

PortHarcourtBoy: I bet you say as night reach, this man dey stroll go one Mamaput to tidy Ewedu and Amala with 4 extra Shaki and Kpormor

PortHarcourtBoy: I bet you say as night reach, this man dey stroll go one Mamaput to tidy Ewedu and Amala with 4 extra Shaki and Kpormor

BeraBera: Please take it easy, you are not quarreling with anybody, okay.
I believe the relevant authorities must have seen or heard about this man's hunger strike. Jonathan is somebody that has a listening ear and a human heart. Let us see if something would not be done about this

virtuoso01: This is not funny.

The FG should seriously do something about helping these people.

mascot87: Abeg GEJ no dey,u go fit survive before he come?











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