Customers at one of Guarantee Trust Bank (GTBank)’s e-branches located on Ring Road, Ibadan the capital city of Oyo State are groaning as a result of an ongoing battle between the bank and its landlord.
PMParrot was reliably informed that the root of the battle has to do with the failure of GTBank’s management to honour an agreement signed over the rehabilitation of the car park and general maintenance of the building where the e-branch is located.
It was gathered that sometime in late 2020, the bank and the landlord, Mr Toba Fabiyi who is also a well-known Estate Surveyor and Developer in the South West of Nigeria entered into an agreement to rehabilitate the Car Park.
A total sum almost five million naira was approved for the project with the bank promising to provide 75 per cent of the funds needed.
After signing the agreement, Mr Fabiyi went to town and executed the project.
However, the bank reneged on its promise and by November, 2020, the Landlord erected iron barricades to prevent customers and others visiting the e-branch from parking their cars at the newly rehabilitated car park.
This prompted the Segun Agbaje-led GTBank’s management to release a sum of two million naira adding that nothing else would be paid.
Mr Fabiyi and his workers then decided to further embarrass customers visiting the e-branch.
Nails were cemented on the floor to deflate the tyres of those parking within the premises of the e-branch. (see images).
When contacted, Mr Toba Fabiyi was not available for comment but PMParrot was able to speak with one of his close aides.
According to the aide, “GTBank is bent on cheating us. The total sum of N4.9 million was agreed for the project. The bank was supposed to provide 75 per cent of that. It was after the bank was embarrassed that a sum of two million naira was paid on December 29, 2020 with a promise that the balance would be paid on January 25, 2021. The total cash payable by the bank is about N3.7 million.
“After paying the said two million, the bank said it would not pay the balance. That is why nails were cemented on the floor early in February.”
One of the bank’s workers who spoke with us on the condition of anonymity merely said “It is the headquarters in Lagos that has refused to approve the payment. We are just here to ensure the smooth running of the e-branch. Mr Fabiyi knows who to talk to.”
The three-storey building that belongs to Mr Toba Fabiyi has been housing GTBank’s e-branch with about 16 ATMachines for over five years.
Packaged by Alice Egbedele
