Photo Caption: Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar; Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu; GMD/CEO, UBA Plc, Kennedy Uzoka; CEO awardee, Ibrahim Ogbonago; Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu; Adamawa State Governor, Bindow Jibrilla; as well as Mrs. Onari Duke and Alhaji Ja’afaru Paki, directors of the bank, during the presentation of UBA CEO Awards for Excellence to Ogbonago, a security guard who returned $,10,000 belonging to a customer at the weekend.

The management of United Bank for Africa Plc, at the weekend in Lagos, celebrated excellence in customer service in staff who continually implements its core values of enterprise, excellence and execution, a well-attended gathering of customers, captains of industry, dignitaries from politics and diplomacy, staff and board members from its 19 African country network, to witness the 2017 UBA CEO Awards.
Ahead of this year’s edition of the annual event first established in 2008 to celebrate outstanding performance within the group, the bank recently promoted 3000 staff members, illustrating the bank’s appreciation of their contributions and service delivery to customers.
There were over 10 awards category, which according to the Group Managing Director, Kennedy Uzoka said is in recognition and appreciation “that there are so many staff members who have demonstrated aspects of each of our core values, but we have had to single out the very best. We celebrate our Lions and Lionesses who used their ingenuity and creativity, as well as their industry experience and passion, to work tirelessly to deliver excellent service to our customers and to continue to achieve exceptional results within the Group.”
There were winners who had excelled in innovation and execution across Africa. There were also those rewarded for their entrepreneurial abilities, including the Chief Executive of UBA Ghana, Mrs Abiola Bawuah, who was chosen in the special award category of “Business Leader who defied all odds and opened up new opportunities for the Bank”.
She was described by the GMD as “a relentless CEO who breaks barriers, extends the horizon and motivates, inspires and encourages others.”
However, the most outstanding award went to Ibrahim Ogbanagbo, s security staff at bank’s Oba Akran branch in Ikeja, Lagos, who found $10,000 cash belonging to a customer and returned it.
Ogbanagbo explained how the money could have changed his life and how he could have taken it, but how his upbringing, as well as UBA’s value and focus on integrity would never have allowed him to do so.
He went home with the excellence award for his display of honesty and integrity. He was congratulated personally by the group’s Chairman, Tony Elumelu, who said Ogbanagbo exemplified someone who is committed to the hallmarks of excellence in the execution of his duties.
According to Elumelu, “this is an example to us all. How anyone, no matter their position in our Group can distinguish themselves and set an example. Today, we stand here to celebrate a junior UBA staff member, who returned money that was misplaced and who through this action, gained much more than he could ever have imagined. As a leading pan-African bank, this is what we stand for and we commend Ibrahim Ogbonagbo for living the principle of integrity.”
Ogbonagbo was not only awarded the 2017 CEO Excellence Award, he received a standing ovation, as well as rewards from dignitaries in the audience who came on stage to acknowledge him.
Governor of Nigeria’s Adamawa State, Alhaji Bindow Jibralla pledged the sum of $5,000 just as he received a personal commitment of $10,000 from the Governor of Bauchi state, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar.
The Deputy Senate president, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who was present at the event, said Ogbanagbo’s name will be announced at the floor of the Senate (on Tuesday) during plenary and will be given the sum of N5,000,000 by the Senate.
Besides Ekwerenmadu, as well as governors of Taraba and Adamawa states, dignitaries at event included Donald Duke, former two-term governor of Cross River State, Alhaji AbdulSamad Rabiu, chairman of BUA Group, a Nigerian conglomerate with investments in cement, sugar, flour milling, among others; and many others.
The ceremony also witnessed the presence of key industry players, diplomats, ministers and key influencers in Nigeria, as well as the CEOs and Board Chairmen of the 19 African countries in which UBA operates, democratising banking for over 14 million customers.