By Kef Dukulay
Dr. Walton Ekundayo Gilpin, Managing Director of the Rokel Commercial Bank (RCB) has reiterated his dedication to expanding the operations of the bank as part of his dream to leave an impactful legacy at RCB as he waves aside innuendoes over his exit
“I am here to serve the president and my people, not to listen to small people who do not have vision and focus but bent on pulling good people down.”
The senior banker was reacting to recent media charades against his official position, accusing him of using influence to overstay in office.
“My job is a tenure position and as it pleases his Excellency. Since I was appointed by His Excellency the president, my business has been to serve to the best of my ability. My dream is expansion. That is the legacy I will have to leave. Currently we are working on creating a branch in Liberia; we are not here to listen to small people.”
The MD accused that most of the negative postings against him in social media and cooked-up stories in newspapers are from certain people he promoted within the institution but who are now bent on assuming his position and want to see his back.
“That is not the way it works. When the time comes I will go as it pleases his Excellency.” He said the question of having reached or surpassed retirement age does not matter in tenure positions since such appointments are at the behest of the Executive.
“How can I manipulate when the public is seeing my handiwork? I work with those that abide by institutional norms, not dissents, so if they take that as manipulative and sidelining, it’s totally baseless” he furthered.
He said even when it comes to taking decisions, he doesn’t go it alone but guided by institutional norms and the Board so the success of the bank is a shared responsibility. “But such feats so far achieved during my tenure can only come with a strong leadership, which I think I have provided,” he asserted.
Since his assumption to that office, Dr. Gilpin has worked assiduously; turning RCBank into a profitable institution with digital innovations which have won the bank and the Managing Director international awards. He has certainly done his bit in the transformative efforts of the bank, making it an expanding and financial success story under President Julius Maada Bio.
“So my stay deprives nobody of his or her right to grow because this is an executive position and nobody knows who the president may desire to occupy upon my exit.’
He emphasized that people inside are pushing for smear campaigns through the media which he said is unfortunate especially when the paid pipers are bereft of the facts. “But nobody will coerce the situation, only when it pleases President Bio but one thing is clear, whether I go now or not, I sure have impacted many lives and uplifted the status of the bank.”
An insider who prefers anonymity, in a snap had this to comment on the media charades: “Dr. Gilpin is not the owner of RC Bank so he cannot stay here forever but he has proven that as a patriotic citizen, he has to make a difference. This is not the Rokel we used to know. We therefore need to be careful dealing with people’s integrity, especially those who are serving or have served the nation.”
