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.
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