UBA Group CEO for Africa visits Sierra Leone

 

 

 

 

 

UBA Group CEO for Africa visits Sierra Leone

UBA GROUP CEO FOR AFRICA, OLIVER ALAWUBA, VISITES SIERRA LEONE AND PAID COURTESY CALLS ON THE PRESIDENT- RETIRED BRIGADIER JULIUS MAADA BIO, THE FINANCE MINISTER, THE BANK GOVERNOR, TOP CUSTOMERS AND EMC MEMBER.

The CEO Africa, Oliver Alawuba, on Tuesday, 25th February, 2020, visited the shores of Sierra Leone to make courtesy calls on the President of the republic, H.E. Julius Maada Bio at his State Lodge residence, the Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa, the Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone (BSL), Professor Kelfala Kallon, dinner with UBA SL top customers at the prestigious Radisson Blu Hotel and a meeting with EMC members at Head Office Building at Charlotte Street, Freetown.

In the message to the President, the CEO stressed the Pan African spread of UBA Group, further reminding the H.E. that UBA SL has operated in the financial landscape of Sierra Leone for over ten years now, whilst complying to all banking regulations, paying due taxes, and most importantly supporting the flagship program of the government- Free Quality Education- through UBA Read Africa Initiative, and huge financial donations made to the previous governments during the Ebola Scourge of 2014 and the Mudslide/Flooding twin disasters 2017 respectively.

The CEO assured the President of UBA’s readiness for collaboration and support in key areas in education and infrastructure development, creating more jobs for young SL graduates with the rolling out of seven new branches across the country in the near future.

The President in his remarks reassured the UBA delegation that his government will continue to create the enabling environment that will allow the private sector and other businesses to thrive, whilst emphasizing that his flagship program of human capital development through free quality education remains the catalyst to drive real socio-economic development in few decades to come, and enjoin all key players like banks to come onboard and do their parts through the CSR mandates expected of them.

The President further commended UBA leading in innovation and technology in the banking space with the availability of hosts of digital products, and even more so with the Tony Elemelu Program that empowers young entrepreneurs across the continent to realize their dreams and ambitions through the provision of start-up funds, mentorship, training and coaching.

Similar visits were also made to the Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa, who further applauded UBA for consistency in the banking industry, highlighted the need for private sector- government collaboration, to strengthen trade within the MANU RIVER UNION and foster expansion in several sectors across for development.

The CEO also paid a courtesy call on the Governor of Bank of Sierra Leone, Professor Kelfala Kallon, who in turn thanked the UBA delegation for the visit and assured the CEO of giving a level playing field to all financial institutions in the country, concluding that UBA remains a strategic and key player in the country to help realize all the developmental agendas for the future.

In his remarks to the EMC members on his arrival on Tuesday afternoon, the CEO warmed appreciated all committee members, and urged the local management for proffer local solutions to all outstanding issues, and to discontinue the overreliance on Group as the center for everything. He told the local authorities that real power now lies with them to execute and that he may only come in to support from time to time, and not provide the overall solutions to the issues. He commended lots of staff for theirhard-working and dedication to the brand and also warmly welcome some new faces in the room.

Lastly, and most importantly, the CEO hosted top customers to a fabulous dinner at the Radisson Blu/Mammy Yoko Hotel, Aberdeen, Freetown, to thank them for the trust and confidence reposed in UBA, and assured them of loads of excellent services, seamless digital channels and products to deliver results on their requests and a management team that will always listen and work in the mutual interest of both parties.

The CEO left Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Thursday, 27th February 2020, to embark on work further afield in another subsidiary in Africa.