A former deputy governor, policy and corporate services of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Ernest Ebi has been appointed as a non-executive director and chairman-designate of the board of directors of Fidelity Bank Plc.
His appointment followed the exit of the former chairman, Chief Christopher Ezeh, who retired after more than 11 years of service and having attained the mandatory retirement age for non-executive directors in line with the bank’s policy.
A statement, issued by the bank explained that the board also approved the appointments of Messrs Charles Chidebe Umolu and Kings C. Akuma as non- executive directors.
The appointments, according to the statement, are subject to approval by the CBN.
Before he joined the CBN where he served for 10 years, Ebi was the deputy managing director/chief operating officer of Diamond Bank Plc in 1998, having also served as managing director/chief executive officer of the defunct New Nigeria Bank plc.
Besides, he served as executive director of the rested African Continental Bank.
A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Ebi participated locally and internationally in several management development courses on strategic planning and financial and risk management.
The chairman-designate attended Holy Ghost College, Owerri from 1970 and Howard University, Washington DC, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing (1978) and a master’s degree in Business Administration (1979).
Ebi who is a recipient of the Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) award is married with children.
Mr. Akuma, currently the managing director of Hammakopp Consortium Limited (an affiliate of Nestoil Group Plc) holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting (1984) from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and an MBA from the University of Lagos.
Akuma, who is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), has hands-on extensive managerial experience in oil and gas services operations, relationship, security and community management spanning over 10 years.
Regarded as a thorough-bred strategic change management specialist with core competence in organisational structure and financial due diligence review, Akuma grew Hammakopp’s turnover from N800 million to close to N1.8 billion within one year.
With over 30 years of in-depth experience in banking and finance operations, consulting, manufacturing, due diligence and forensic accounting, Akuma has also acquired further skills in project management, development and implementation of accounting and internal control systems.
Mr. Umolu, currently a managing consultant with Corimol Nigeria Limited and the chief executive of Corimol Consulting Limited, has over 18 years experience in banking.
He was trained as a banker by Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York (USA).
Umolu who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Ife, Ile Ife (1977) also obtained an MBA (1979) from the same institution.
He has attended extensive management and executive training programmes at the Harvard Business School, University of Chicago, and Columbia Business School, New York.
Umolu also served on the board of various organisations as executive director and non-executive director.
Currently, he serves on the board of Profound Securities Limited, a subsidiary of the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
He was also the managing director/chief executive officer of the defunct Comet Merchant Bank Limited, a position he held until he resigned to join Corimol Nigeria Limited.
Welcoming the new directors, the managing director/chief executive officer of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, said their appointments would contribute significantly to the new phase of the bank’s growth trajectory.
He also praised the former chairman, Ezeh, and noted the passion, commitment and experience he brought to the board.
