₦airaland Forum

AN OPEN LETTER OF DECLARATION OF REFUNDED FUNDS BY UBA

Good morning Nairalanders and Nigerians,

I sincerely appreciate all the support and encouraging comments I have received concerning my complaint about UBA. This campaign started on Twitter on Sunday afternoon with the intention of getting UBA to do the right thing and return the money fraudulently removed from my account. With a rigorous Twitter campaign, they finally paid attention because they requested for my phone number and account details on Monday.

Yesterday morning, I headed out to a funeral without taking my phones. Upon my return, I realized that I had several missed calls; most of them were from the contact person I had been corresponding with in UBA.

As I scrolled through my text messages, I saw an alert that shows I have been credited with N1.2m, the same amount that had been fraudulently withdrawn from my account. I also saw another text message from the same Admin contact informing me that the Bank has refunded my money.

In order to be doubly assured, I called my account officer to check my account balance and his feedback affirmed that the money has been paid. This battle to recover my money has lasted for more than one year. What could not be achieved in one year has been made possible within 48 hours due to your prayers and support.

Once again, thank you for your support. Justice has been done on this case! UBA has stepped forward and done the right thing.

Warm regards,
Signed
Omo-Ojo Gloria (Mrs.)

UBA HAS JUST REFUNDED THE MONEY TO MRS. GLORIA OMO-OJO. JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED! THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND COMMENTS. THANK YOU UBA FOR COMING THROUGH AT LAST!

UBA HAS JUST REFUNDED THE MONEY TO MRS. GLORIA OMO-OJO. JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED! THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND COMMENTS. THANK YOU UBA FOR COMING THROUGH AT LAST!

February 9th, 2015

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

My name is Gloria Omo-Ojo and I am a customer of the United Bank of Africa Plc (UBA). I write to complain about a recent unsavoury banking experience with the UBA.

Sometime on the 16th of January 2014, I received an email from UBA’s Risk Alert Unit requesting for confirmation of four (4) POS transactions totalling $2021.48 allegedly carried out at Walgreens, Riverhead, New York, USA. The email came while I was asleep. Upon seeing the mail the next morning, I promptly responded and declined confirmation. I also followed up with a phone call and a visit to the branch where my account is domiciled.

However on the 20th of January 2014, I discovered to my shock that my account had been debited with naira equivalent of ten (10) additional transactions at the same Walgreens, Riverhead, New York for which no transaction confirmation request was received. All 14 transactions happened in a span of about 2 hours same day.

It dawned on me that UBA honoured the fraudulent transactions on my account even after I had raised alarm to stop further transactions on the account. I lost N1, 126,412.00 as a result of the bank’s failure to honour my request.

Having exhausted all channels to secure refund from UBA, I submitted a complaint letter to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Consumer Banking Department. In response to CBN’s query on the matter, UBA exonerated itself of blame and insisted that the bank will not refund the lost money to me. In a dramatic and twisted interpretation of its own rules, the CBN informed me that it was unable to accede to my request to compel UBA to refund the unauthorised withdrawals. Since then, every effort to recover the money amicably from UBA has failed.

It is rather curious that UBA’s defense was that I did not respond immediately to the confirmation notice. The big question here is what does UBA consider as ‘immediate response’? The confirmation mail was sent at night time and response was under 12 hours, yet the bank still considered that as not immediate enough. It is a known banking rule that once a bank initiates a transaction confirmation request, it is binding that response must be received before action is taken.

It is appalling that an acclaimed international bank in the status of UBA could display lack of commitment to its own core value of security of customers’ money. UBA’s inability to stop unauthorised transactions on my account despite the fact that I raised an alarm is pathetic and unacceptable. The bank has demonstrated incompetence in transaction authentication processes. It is worrisome how easily customers’ vital information with UBA could be compromised.

I have in the past one year incurred a lot of expense pursuing this matter as well as suffered psychological trauma. I am using this medium to appeal to UBA to revisit this matter with a view to refunding the lost money.

Thank you.

Best regards,
Gloria Omo-Ojo

UBA HAS JUST REFUNDED THE MONEY TO MRS. GLORIA OMO-OJO. JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED! THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND COMMENTS. THANK YOU UBA FOR COMING THROUGH AT LAST!

Lagos (28th January, 2015): Anchorage Leisures Limited, owners of the Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Victoria Island, have confirmed that renovation activities at the hotel are about to commence. The Management of the company also confirmed that its present focus is to ensure that the renovation activities are conducted to time and quality specifications so the hotel can resume operations as soon as possible.

In a press release to present update on activities, Anchorage Leisures Limited said that all pre-renovation planning activities have been concluded successfully and implementation will commence immediately. “We have successfully relocated guests into alternative facilities and all entitlements have been paid to disengaged staff”, the statement added.

Commenting on protests by some members of staff, the company noted that, staff who protested must have misconstrued the intention of Management. The statement reiterated that the hotel temporarily shut down business operations strictly because of the magnitude of the renovation and not because Management had issues with members of staff as wrongly insinuated.

The press release again noted that “given the company’s strict adherence to global health and safety standards, it would be wrong to have retained guests and staff on the premises while conducting the magnitude of renovations underway.”

Finally, the statement maintained that the utmost objective of the Management of Anchorage Leisures Limited is to follow through with the renovation of its facilities as well as critical equipment so that the hotel can re-open to guests with increased focus on delivery of superior quality hospitality services in the shortest possible time.

About Anchorage Leisures Limited
Anchorage Leisures Limited was founded to promote hospitality, tourism and culture through active participation and strategic partnerships with global leaders in hospitality industry. Anchorage Leisures is the owner of the 170-room, 5-star Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Lagos (25th January, 2015): The 5-star, water-front Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, has shut down operations to conduct extensive renovation of its facilities, as part of its Management’s commitment to retain standards and remain the hotel of first choice for guests visiting Lagos, for business or pleasure.

According to an official statement by Anchorage Leisures Limited, owners of the hotel, the extensive renovation of its facilities will “cover areas such as power generation, cooling system as well as other critical equipment”. “The magnitude of the renovation work has however necessitated shutting down of business operations for the duration of the renovation”, the statement further indicated.

The Management of Anchorage Leisures Limited has also said that the renovation activities have led to disengagement of staff given the required duration for the renovation. Management however stressed that it will abide by all contractual terms by ensuring payment of all that is due to the staff. Maintaining its appreciation for its people, the Management of Anchorage Leisures noted its commitment to welfare of its staff. Even when we experienced very low patronage during the Ebola crisis in Nigeria, we retained all our staff, however, the magnitude of this renovation work has compelled a total shut down of business activities.

The Management of Anchorage Leisures has however assured its numerous guests in Nigeria and across the world that Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, will re-open with increased focus on delivery of superior quality service. “We are mindful of our position as a premium hospitality brand and we will continue to do everything required to maintain our premium standard and ensure our guests are treated to the best-in-class hospitality services available anywhere in the world”, the statement added.

About Anchorage Leisures Limited
Anchorage Leisures Limited was founded to promote hospitality, tourism and culture through active participation and strategic partnerships with global leaders in hospitality industry. Anchorage Leisures is the owner of the 170-room, 5-star Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Lagos, (Nigeria), January 12, 2015 - Schneider Electric the global specialist in energy management has announced the introduction of a new range of innovative energy efficient maintenance-free Solar Streetlights called Villaya. This was disclosed by the Field Marketing and Access to Energy Manager, Anne Ezeh while introducing the product to a select group of customers at the company's head office in Lagos.

Speaking further on the unique attributes of the Villaya Solar Streetlights, she revealed that the product offers sustainable lighting capacity for up to 10 years. "Unlike others, the Villaya Solar Streetlights' unique integrated concept makes installation very quick and easy because there is no need for trenching, cabling or on site assembling and the advanced LED technology and management system guarantees the lamps can last for up to 10 years" Anne said.

In addition to its Smart Management System, the Villaya Solar Streetlights offer unrivalled heat resistance, highly efficient LED light engine that provides the best ratio of lumens per watt as well as a unique all-in-one integrated plug and play design which allows for retrofitting, easy installation and helps to avoid vandalism.

The Villaya Solar Streetlights work by automatically detecting night time conditions through an integrated circuit processor that guarantees full power during the night and graduated reduction of light intensity after 4 to 5 hours, to stretch the availability of its lighting service all year long.

Speaking on the organization's unwavering commitment towards providing innovative energy solutions, Anne Ezeh stated, "The Villaya Solar Streetlight is a product solution to promote environmental safety, efficient, renewable, clean and affordable power, even in remote or off-grid areas that require good street lighting and zero electricity bills" She said.

Schneider Electric has been at the forefront of sustainable power sector development in Nigeria, not only by the introduction of genuine electrical products, but also in the development of manpower, in a bid to complement the Federal Government's efforts in the sector.

RFor more info, visit: www.schneider-electric.com.ng

Lagos (Nigeria) January 15, 2015 – MainOne, Nigeria’s leading provider of innovative telecom services and network solutions for businesses in West Africa, today announced the opening of its premier Tier III Lekki Data Center to address the growing demand for Colocation, Cloud and Disaster Recovery Services in West Africa. In addition, MainOne announced that the purpose built facility designed to international TIA 942 standards will be managed under a new subsidiary branded as MDX-i.

Speaking at the launch, the Chairman of MainOne, Fola Adeola reiterated the company’s commitment to nurture the growth and impact of the Internet ecosystem through the provision of high-quality infrastructure to power businesses and governments across West Africa.
Chief Executive Officer, MainOne, Funke Opeke said, “We are delighted to launch West Africa’s largest and best-connected data center. This reaffirms our capabilities in meeting the needs of business for reliable connectivity and data center services in a dynamic and fast paced global economy”

During a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring the Nigeria’s Minister of Communications Technology, Dr. Omobola Johnson, as well as other notable industry leaders, the facility was declared opened and ready for service for Enterprises & Government in West Africa.

In her comments, the Minister of Communications Technology, Dr. (Mrs.) Omobola Johnson, said that the launch of MDX-I data center facility is a notable accomplishment that complements initiatives required to further drive the realization of the National broadband plan Nigeria. “Availability of world class Data centers in Nigeria is critical infrastructure required for the implementation of our Broadband initiatives. The accomplishment by MainOne is indeed significant as it provides an outsourcing and cost effective model to further drive ICT adoption.”

MDX-i’s Tier III Lekki Data Center is the first of many planned data centers by the company in Nigeria. It is a N7 Billion investment and has capacity for 600 racks. The data center provides Corporate customers with world class Colocation, Cloud and Managed Services and the first set of customers will enjoy services starting from next week.

www.mdx-i.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2XaEITtpFU