Fifteen billionaires are owing three banks N15.83 billion, it was learnt yesterday.
The debts were the loans they took but refused to pay before they went toxic. Going by a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directive on the non-performing loans, the companies and their billionaire directors risk being banned from accessing foreign exchange from the official window and trading in the Nigerian Government Securities Market.
The affected debtors are: Enikkom Investment Services Ltd, whose director, Edward Amene, owes Skye Bank Plc N1.86 billion for a term loan, approved in December 2010 and expired December 2013 and Prod Integrated Services Limited, whose directors – Sylvester Okonkwo and Bekele Tadesse – obtained a lease finance loan from Skye Bank Plc in September 2008. The facility expired in February 2013 and currently has outstanding negative balance of N1.65 billion.
Tim Afrique Services, whose term loan was approved in January 2009 and expired December 2012 with outstanding balance of N998.65 million, has Captain Billy, Gula Timati and Capt Bob Timondi as its directors. National Truck Manufacturers’ directors – Sunil Pathanani and Alhaji Ibrahim Bayero – obtained an overdraft which was approved in April 2008 and expired in June 2009. It has an outstanding balance of N728.23 million. Appaye Engineering Company Ltd, whose only director is Chief Richard Asaje, got a term loan which was approved in January 2007 and expired in January 2009. The account has an outstanding balance of N524.3 million.
The big debtors with Enterprise Bank Limited are: Naturelle Extracts Ltd, whose directors – Dr. Patrick Acholonu, Steve Agbarakwe, Ebong Nte Basiekanem, Brenda Bassey and Andrew Ahunnaya – got a loan in April 2011 and expired in April 2016 with an outstanding balance of N1.89 billion. The GIC Oil & Gas Services Limited, with Ebolowo Godwin, Mrs. Evbusogie Ebolo, Osarugue Ebolo and Olabisi Bamidele as directors, also got a term loan which was approved in October 2012 and expired April 2015. The account with Enterprise Bank Limited has an outstanding balance of N1.89 billion.
Nadebo Energy Limited, another Enterprise Bank Limited customer, has Senator Nuhu Aliyu, Chief David Ajobola Olorunleke and Ali Jeldi Abubakar-Peters as directors. It secured a term loan which got the lender’s approval in February 2008. The debit balance stood at N1.55 billion by October 2013 when the repayment period expired.
On the Enterprise Bank’s list of billionaire debtors is Vester Services Limited and the directors are Sylvester Unokesan and Labord Unokesan. The company requested and got approval for a term loan in November 2011 which expired in February 2013 but has an outstanding balance of N1.44 billion. IS Oglass Industries Limited is also indebted to Enterprise Bank Limited. Its directors are: Chief Isaac Akinmokun, Muyiwa Akinmokun, Dr. Akin Akinmokun, Tokunbo Orimobi and Olubunmi Ajoje. The company applied and secured a term loan in April 2011 which expired in April 2013 and now has an outstanding balance of N895.83 million.
Zenith Bank Plc. also has its own share of bad debtors. They include: Energy Company Nigeria Limited, whose directors are Abidoye Ayoola, Ojeifo Musa, Grant Gilbert Temisan, Oji Theophilus Ifeanyichukwu, Nom Yunana and Ayoola Oluwole. The company applied for and secured a Bank of Industry (BoI) term loan which got the lender’s approval in January 2012. The facility has an outstanding of N743.49 million. Olugbenga Onigbogu, who is also the sole director, got a share loan of N502.7 million which was approved by Zenith Bank in January 2008 and the facility expired since February 2009. Prime Marketing Associates Limited, with Adeleke Sebiomo, Adesimbo Sebiomo and Serak Sebiomo as its directors, got a commercial paper loan from Zenith Bank. The facility was approved in October 2007 and expired October 2008. It has an outstanding debt of N472.2 million outstanding. Ekha Agro Processing, whose directors are Samuel Osazenaye, E. Osazenaye, Ede Osayende, James Osarenkhoe, obtained a BoI term loan from Zenith Bank Plc. The facility, which was approved in October 2010 and due to expire in October 2020, has an outstanding balance of N356.39 million.
Also on the Zenith Bank list is Southfield Petroleum Limited, whose directors are Brigidi David, Didi Ndioma and Patrick Ndioma. The company got import finance facility from Plc and the facility which was approved in September 2007 has an outstanding balance of N323.99 million after it expired in October 2008.
The list will be expanded as more banks revealed the names of debtors as mandated by the Central Bank. The following banks have yet to publish the names of debtors- First Bank, Access Bank, Citi Bank, Ecobank, First City Monument Bank, Keystone, Standard Chartered, United Bank for Africa, Unity Bank, and Wema Bank.
Meanwhile, Access Bank Plc yesterday, listed 11 defaulters in its bad book, amounting to about N3.7 billion, with three of the highest debtors- Boika Ventures Limited, MCLATEK Nigeria Limited and LOC Metals and Minerals Limited, owing more than N2.65 billion.
The ‘name and shame’ exercise for chronic bank debtors may have brought new indications about the failure to imbibe corporate governance by directors of banks, leading to about N546.02 billion bad debts in the industry.
