Short Comment By Sorie Fofana
Over the past several weeks, social media platforms and some sections of the print media have been awash with stories of sexual harassment at the Rokel Commercial Bank involving the under-fire Managing Director, Dr. Ekundayo Gilpin.It is reported that the Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone has ordered the Board of Directors of the Rokel Commercial Bank to investigate the allegations made against the Managing Director by a female member of the top management team of the bank. Incidentally, the alleged victim happens to be a lawyer.
The Managing Director finds himself in a very difficult situation especially when he has become the subject of a sexual harassment investigation. It is extremely important for both the reputation of the bank and the Managing Director, for the Board to get to the bottom of those allegations.At least, there are reports that, some female staff have had to leave the bank, because, they got fed up with sexual harassments in the form of unsolicited phone calls and pornographic materials sent to their phones during odd hours by a senior member of the Rokel Commercial Bank.
The Government of Sierra Leone owns 65% majority shares in the bank with the remaining 35% owned by ordinary citizens and institutions including NASSIT. Can the government continue to protect one man against the interest of an institution as important as the Rokel Commercial Bank?Dr. Ekundayo Gilpin cannot continue to be the Managing Director of the Rokel Commercial Bank when he is at the centre of such a massive scandal. He should step aside and allow the Board to investigate the allegations against him. His mere presence in the bank continues to give the bank a bad name.
We call on the government to suspend the Managing Director of Rokel Commercial Bank until the investigations are concluded.Allegations about sexual harassment of female staff members by a senior member of the bank can only be described as a crying shame. No attempt should be made to sweep these allegations under the carpet in the Board Room.
In any decent society, the Managing Director would have stepped aside than wait until he is disgracefully kicked out of a bank that he has helped to make more relevant in the financial and banking sector.Dr. Ekundayo Gilpin must be asked to quietly step aside now and allow the Board to do a thorough job. He should not be allowed to drag the reputation of the bank with him to the mud. A stitch in time saves nine.May common sense prevail!–
