[size=13pt]‘CBN never conducted special exams on banks’[/size]
Cover Stories, Headlines Aug 26, 2009 By Omoh Gabriel, Emeka Aginam, James Ezema & Tordue Salem

LAGOS—More insights into the motive for the removal of the Chief Executives of Union Bank, Intercontinental, Oceanic, Afribank and Finbank emerged, yesterday, as some top officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, opposed to the sack, provided evidence which points to the fact that no special examination of the banks was conducted either by the CBN or NDIC.

Also yesterday, some members of the House of Representatives who visited Vanguard raised query on CBN’s source of the N400 billion injected into the five banks.

This position was also corroborated by the  Managing Director of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, Mr. Ganiyu Ogunleye when he appeared before the Usman Adamu_led Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives

No special examination as required by law

With  documentary evidence in Abuja, the CBN officials said that what was done in the banks between February and July 2009 was on AD-HOC assignment.

A CBN letter to the banks on the 18th of June said : RE Joint CBN/NDIC AD-HOC ASSIGNMENT
The letter reads in part “a team of CBN/NDIC bank examiners led by Mr X has been scheduled to carry out an Ad-Hoc Assignment in your bank. Please  provide them with the  necessary information that will enable them to promptly complete the assignment.”

The CBN officials said an ad-adoc assignment was different from a special examination. They disclosed that a special examination can only be conducted on a bank if there is a petition from within the bank to CBN, stating that there is a grave situation in the bank or that after CBN/NDIC examination, the report points to a deteriorating financial situation in the bank.

According to the officials, in that case, the CBN will write formally to the bank board, intimating it of its intention to do a special examination, detailing the areas and material facts to be provided. The  examiners will move in to carry out the assignment.

After the examination, the report is compiled and a copy sent to the bank for it to study. Thereafter the CBN will schedule a meeting with the bank board to discuss the findings of the report of the examination and out line possible solutions. If it is the erosion of capital, the board will be asked to raise capital and given time frame to do so. All of these were not carried out this time around, the CBN officials said

Besides, the banks affected complained that the figure on non-performing loans they were being asked to provide for changed with each examination which gave rise to suspicion that something was fishing.

A letter written by one ofthe banks to CBN Director, Banking Supervision titled request for report of CBN examination read: “We observed Sir, that CBN and NDIC examiners have visited our bank several times between the months of February and July this year.

However, we have not received any official report on any of these examinations. We equally noticed that the figures and details of non-performing accounts to be provided for, change with each different list given to us and also different from the various exit interviews held with our management. …we shall therefore be very grateful Sir if we can receive the full examination report with details of accounts deemed non-performing for our review and response in keeping with your normal practice.” The letter was not responded to, they said.

House of Reps query source of fund
Following the recent injection of  N400bn into five  Nigerian banks by CBN as a bail out  fund, some members of the House of Representatives, yesterday, said that  the CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi  Lamido Sanusi would be made to explain the source of the  fund when the House reconvenes.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to Vanguard Newspapers in Lagos, the House stated that since they were on recess when the decision was taken, in line with due   process, the CBN governor ought not to have dolled the funds to the five banks including Oceanic Bank, Intercontinental Bank,  Fin Bank, Afribank, and Union Bank without  a recourse to the National Assembly.

“We have raised agencies that have the backing of the law to track people who do extra budgetary expenditure. When we see that the Federal government is not acting, then we act. We believe that he acted with every good intention, but it did not follow due process.

“ There from, there is communication between the various committees. I know that there from, every other thing will follow due process and those that have not followed the law would be made to comply with the law,” Chairman of Appropriations Committee, Hon. Ayo Adeseun said, adding that the CBN would be called to order and made to  explain where the bail  money came from.

“It is obvious to everybody, when you are talking about bail-out, we all saw even the voting process by virtue of improved communication, we saw the voting process on the floor of the various congresses.

“So, if one person appointed a governor who does not know the workings of government, that means the person be called to order for proper orientation on his job. And that is probably the first attempt at public life. Whereas he is pursuing good intentions but good intentions must be pursued through due process. And we are also handling a delicate times when the stock exchange has lost, in the last one week, over N600 billion in value.

“ We come from constituencies, we feel the pulse of the people. Where as you are safe-guarding the deposit of money, you also do not want them to lose out. Things must be done properly. It is wrong, it is totally wrong and the central Bank Governor must be called to order that he did not follow due process. We must call a spade a spade,” he further stated.

Similarly, Honourable Igo Agumah, representing Port Harcourt I Federal Constituency, Rivers State,  who also condemned the action of the CBN on bail-out fund, said that it was time due process was followed for a better polity.

“I’ll like to assure that this government is not running without a legislature. I think that the legislature is part of what makes this government a democracy and in addition to a few of the things that have been said, first on the bail-out money, I think that this House is going to insist that the CBN governor discloses where he got the money to give to the five banks. It is part of what we’ll do.

“I’ll like to inform that all these things had taken place while the House of Reps is on recess. And on the very first day at work, we’ll require the CBN to actually disclose the source of the money, where he got it from in order to do what they have done,” he said.

The delegation comprising chairmen of various House committees was led by House Committee Chairman on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Esseme Eyiboh, representing the Speaker Hon. Dimeji Bankole,  Others were Hon. Ayo Adeseun (Appropriation), Hon. Bassey Otu (Petroleum), Hon. Sada Soli (Inter Parliamentary relations), Hon John Eno (Finance), Hon. Igo Agumah (Gas)

… NDIC disagrees
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation NDIC, Mr. Ganiyu Ogunleye, yesterday, faulted a N400 billion liquidity injection into the five banks whose former Managing Directors, boards of directors and Chairmen were sacked by the CBN for offering “non-performing” loans to the tune of N747billion to top businessmen in the country among other offences.

However, the NDIC gave kudos to CBN Governor for laying-off the erstwhile bank chiefs, stressing that the exercise, with the condition of the banks, was long overdue, even as the Corporation sought to be excluded from the list of agencies of government obliged by the Fiscal Responsibility Act to remit their surpluses to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

After the sack of Mrs. Cecilia Ibru, Bartholomew Ebong, Sebastian Adigwe, Erastus Akingbola and Mr. Okey Nwosu, Former Managing Directors of Oceanic Bank, Union Bank, Afribank, Intercontinental Bank and Fin Bank, respectively, the apex bank quickly injected over N400billion into the banks while the sanitisation of the banking sector lasted.

Responding to the N400billion pumped into the defaulting financial institutions, while he appeared before the Usman Adamu-led Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives, Mr. Ogunleye said the NDIC was working with relevant institutions to discourage what he considered a traditional response to banks on the slide.

“This idea of liquidation till eternity is not helpful. But I can assure you sir (Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee) that we are in the process of drawing a line on that. We are in the process of doing that. We agree with you completely.

He recalled that the Expand Discount Window idea for ailing banks was first introduced by the Sani Abacha regime in the wake of an earlier banking reform for reasons that no longer obtained in the present financial sector.

ibgreat:

It's quite unfortunate that this issue was blown out of proportion and many of us that looked at this issue critically believed that what Malam Sanusi did was not bad but he (Malam) took a wrong approach and was just hasty in his decision.

The sector is very sensitive to the extent that is the only sector that makes few things that are working in the country presently made possible. A lot of questions have been asked which Sanusi failed to proffer solutions or rather unanswered. Such questions like:

1. Why not conclude the investigations of all 24 Banks before taken actions?----when u treat an epidemic,do you wait to diagnose the whole public b4 treating the first few you have diagnosed?
2. Why not asked the lender (banks) the modalities involved in given out the loan?-----irrespective of modalities,non-performing implies that the repayment is due and is not forthcoming
3. Where they Capital Project loan or Business loan?-------this absolutely has nothing to do with an agreed repayment time frame,this issues are treated b4,mode of repayment is agreed
4. Why not investigate the circumstances surrounded the borrower not to pay back?-----Not being able to pay back is the borrowers problem,if its caused by internal mismanagement,the borrower should investigate
5. Why not investigate the kind of business venture the borrowers undertake?------[b]that should have been done by the lender.failure to do that constitutes a breach of LAID DOWN procedures on the lenders part[/b]
6. Why not Gives the CEOs opportunity to defend themselves before the axe?------they have proven that they are incapable of effectively running the banks,Obviously those kinda loans can't be approved without their consent
7. During all these, why not asked all the bank to suspend lending pending the investigations will be concluded?------that would be throwing the baby out with the bath water
8. Once the CEOs are guilty, why not asked them to resign given say 20, 30, 40 minutes or an hour to resign?----refer to number (6)
9. Why declared borrower wanted knowing fully that lending or borrowing is not a crime?------borrowing without intention to pay back or not paying back at the agreed time, constitutes a breach of contract,and that's a crime!
10. Why Going to UK to stage rally to convinced them of your action while people back home were not convinced of your actions? And a lot of questions were raised without been answered.------because irrespective of domestic variables, our image internationally is a constant that needs to managed effectively,US does that effectively

However, its obvious that the chairperson of EFCC lack basic knowledge needed to be at helm of affairs of the EFCC. You cannot just asked to start running without asking them that where I am running to. She had suffered one defeat now. Those that were glaring that they embezzled public fund were nether arrested nor prosecuted. Where is the case of Ndidi Elumelu and co?

Let's wait and see the end of this and if it will not will not disappear into the air in next couple of months. I also believe that some of these CEOs and their EDs will be reinstated.

Let's be following the drama.
God Bless
AND FOR THE RECORDS ,,,,YOUR QUESTIONS WERE JUS PLAIN DUMB LAME

ibgreat:

@awizl

You are not sincere and objective in your submissions.

1. I was surprised that you are relating this issue with epidemic. OK as a doctor you have a patient that was transferred to your hospital with a complaint that his suffering from malarial and you started giving him anti malarial drugs. However, as professional doctor, don’t you think it will be wise and necessary for you to conduct a thorough diagnosis to know if his not suffering only from malarial? Your example is not cocorrelatedith the topic.

2. What about the case of Notore Chemical which was classified as non-performing loan. And agreement was to be paid back within 6years.

3. Why CBN now asking other banks to separate their project finance loans from Business loans? For your info, project finance loans are classify as bad loan which could be write off or recover. Or you are not reading newspapers daily.

4. In the case of Ramson Engineering Company (NIPP project). FG is still owing the company and it has asked FG to pay back while they pay their lenders too.

5. What about a long term loan?

6. Cannot be without their consent. Agreed, But considered 2,4,and 5

7. If you know this, why not complete the ininvestigation|_
8. Referred to 6

9. Referred to 6 also

10. While majority back home are criticizing his actions


Note also that in any democratic and civilized nation all what I mentioned, due process and respect to the law of the land have to be critically analyzed and looked into before taken decision on a sensitive matter like this. Nigeria is not yet a civilized nation.

Apparently you are one sided in your judgments and your arguments are baseless.

We shall see the end of it

tunde300us:

I think we should be very careful here,no one has tried this men and found them guilty.Except for the words of sanusi and the federal govt of Nigeria who is not to be trusted anyway.
Like i said only time will tell if his actions will last.We are still in season (1) of this series so please stay tuned