The Sierra Leone Association of Commercial Banks on Thursday 16th February 2023 organised an epic dinner for the outgoing MD/CEO UBA Sierra Leone Usman Isiaka who served the Association as the Vice President while he was the MD/CEO of UBA Sierra Leone. Usman was the MD/CEO of UBA Sierra Leone from September 2020-Januray 2023.
The dinner was attended by the Bank Governor of Sierra Leone Professor Kelfala Kallon, Deputy Bank Governor Dr. Ibrahim Stevens, Senior Directors of the Central Bank, Managing Directors, and top executives of all 14 Commercial Banks in Sierra Leone including the New Acting MD/CEO UBA Sierra Leone Mohamed Alhajie Samoura.
In welcoming guests at the event, Dr. Walton E. Gilpin Managing Director of Rokel Commercial Bank who doubles as the President of the Association congratulated Mr. Usman Isiaka for his new appointment to UBA America. He noted that Usman’s appointment to UBA America would create a lot of business opportunities for banks in Sierra Leone to have a corresponding banking network to other banks in the USA.
Mr. Gilpin, described Usman as a reliable gentleman, articulates, forward looking, innovative and a problem solver. Ms. Shola Taylor-Pearce the Executive Secretary of the association who moderated the dinner session did it in a very informal but in a way that allowed MD/CEOs from the various banks expressed their farewell messages to Mr. Isiaka. It was a moment of testimonies on how Usman has been a pillar of supports to most of the MDs in the industry.
In his response, the MD/CEO Usman Isiaka appreciated the central bank for all the supports provided to him and UBA Bank. “Since my assumption in office, I did not get any regulatory infraction from the central bank, that is a key Performance Indicator (KPI) for UBA especially for expatriate staff,” in a subtle note Mr Usman said thank you to the Bank Governor and his entire team at the Central Bank.
He was in great surprised hearing first-hand testimonies from colleagues’ bankers within his short stay in Sierra Leone and the impacts he had created.
“I am going to UBA America one of the top and cherished franchises of UBA Group, UBA is the only African bank with a deposit licence since 1985 in USA, with your prayers and supports I would do my best” he revealed.
Mr. Usman used the planform to hand over the New Acting MD/CEO to colleagues’ bankers in the room and called on their supports to working with him. The event was climaxed with a gift of appreciation from the association to the former MD/CEO UBA Sierra Leone. The outgoing MD/CEO was accompanied at the dinner by his beautiful wife and children.
Sierra Leone Association of Commercial Banks was established in June 2011 as a not-for-profit private company limited by guarantee, with the members being the commercial banks in the country.