A Commentary by Jonathan Gilpin Brown
We (the press, organizations, individuals, etc.) might be missing the point. We should draw our attention to the fact that Professionals who are entrusted with the day-to-day affairs of an organization MUST be guided by our professional values and standards and not their achievements. Strong institutions are built on good/sound corporate governance principles.
RCB’s achievement under the leadership of Gilpin cannot be overemphasized. We all know Gilpin has done so much in terms of innovation, but the issue at hand is an ethical issue which should not be downplayed nor trivialized. It is not a question of how much Gilpin has achieved or what he has done for himself and RCB; it is a question of how well Gilpin has conducted himself in the execution of his job as CEO/Managing Director.
RCBank is a Bank which majority shareholder is the Government of Sierra Leone (GOSL) – holding shares on behalf of the citizens of this country. RCBank therefore, should be a Bank in which staff from every background, region and ethnicity are able to work comfortably.
Sources close to the Bank say Gilpin’s close allies are the junior staff (whom he ONLY uses to clean his image and run his errands).
RCB should not be politicized because it is not like MDAS, it is a corporate institution competing with other banks (whose CEOS uphold corporate values and ethics in high esteem). This issue should not be politicized but rather be addressed in a way that will not affect the reputation of the bank.
People are calling for President Bio to protect Gilpin (which they are entitled to): But can the Government continue to protect an individual at the expense of other staff and a reputable institution like RCB? Can a Government afford to trade corporate principles and values for self-acclaimed trophies and medals?
If the victim of harassment at workplace was your daughter, wife or loved one, would this have been your position?
Have you heard that other staff are willing to come forward with evidence of similar allegations at RCB?
How long can we allow people in authority (not only at RCB) to harass their subordinates (especially female) with impunity?
Tribe has nothing to do with somebody’s performance. There was a one-time Manager of the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank (SLCB) who was not a Krio, but he did tremendously well in putting the SLCB on the high pedestal it finds itself as a major player in the banking sector.
And undoubtedly today, because of him, the SLCB is by all means (with evidence) the most profitable and leading commercial bank in Sierra Leone with no publicity. It is high time we moved to seek the interest of the Bank as a whole and not individuals who focus on making themselves more visible to the public (in an attempt to strengthen their image and reputation). Even the common man knows that the success of such reputable institution cannot be achieved by just one person but by a solid team. It is so unfair to the Senior Management Team with experience and qualified professionals (whom they say Gilpin has no respect for) but are behind the successes of the Bank.
We need to ask ourselves again; which other CEO/Managing Director in the banking sector parades himself or herself in TV, Radios and Newspapers? Is it that they are not doing well or is it that those who are unnecessary in publicity are hiding something?
It is often said that “the strategy of a misleading and dictatorial Boss is to camouflage and gain public sympathy with innocent posture whilst being vicious and arrogant. While the public is more concerned about individual achievements and awards (which we all know how people get them), let us remember that processes and procedures should at all times be followed to build a strong and sustainable institution. We call on the public to be neutral and stop singing praises whilst trying to get the other side of the story.
In every reputable organization, the CEO’s relationship with employees plays an important role in deciding the fate of the organization. Employers MUST respect their employees (and not divide them) in their various offices especially when they all work towards achieving the organization’s goals. If the employees do not enjoy a healthy relationship among themselves, problems are bound to arise and ultimately their productivity and the institution’s reputation will be at risk. It is alleged that a particular CEO’s allies tend to spread negativity around and spoil of the ambience of the bank by ganging against their Managers (superiors). Some employees sometimes don’t feel like going to the office because they get disrespected at work. Imagine a situation where you are constantly fighting with your siblings at home. Would you ever feel comfortable? The answer is NO. In the same way, if one is involved in constant arguments with his fellow workers (though his subordinates), he would never feel comfortable but our leaders seem very comfortable in shouting at and in intimidating staff.
One needs to have friends at work for him to stay motivated in the job. No individual can work for 8-9 hours at a stretch without a break and people around for him to relax.
As citizens, we therefore call on the Bank of Sierra Leone (Regulators) and the supervising Ministry (Ministry of Finance) to speed up the investigation in the RCB saga. We should have leaders in these institutions and not Bosses who focus on cleaning their images publicly and always boast of getting what they want rather than focusing on practicing sound corporate governance. We also expect the Ministry of Finance and the National Commission for Privatization (Prudential Shareholder) to call on the Anti-Corruption Commission to also look at or investigate the corruption allegations (official vehicle and official driver and $30,000 rent) making rounds on social media.
Whilst all attempts to reach the victim (whom Gilpin has been telling people about her maiden name) have proved futile, reliable sources have informed us that it was Gilpin who first went to the Bank of Sierra Leone to report the victim. We will try our best to reach the victim in order to get her side of the story in all of this, but can we focus on the allegation of harassment at workplace’ which if not properly addressed or handled will not only drag Gilpin and RCB to court but also the Bank of Sierra Leone? More details in our next edition.
