Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, on Monday said that his company, SLOK Group remains the authentic owner of his banking group (FIB), adding that its shares were still intact.
He was reacting to a report by Premium Times, were the paper alleged that the former Governor of Abia had sold the entire issue shared capital of the First International Bank (FIB), Gambia, which is being managed by SLOK.
In a statement sent to Igbere TV on Monday, in Abuja, the Senator representing Abia North district said SLOK did not sell any of its share, insisting that the group remains the genuine owners of the FIB Group Ltd., and its subsidiary banks.
The statement which was signed by Obinna Kalu, Esq., Legal Adviser to FIB Group, revealed that an “illegal” suit which sought to assume the ownership of the shares of FIB’s subsidiary banks, had been dismissed by the Supreme Court in Gambia.
Full Statement,
“This is to inform the general public that the online report credited to Premium Times that a former Governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu has sold the issued share capital of his banking group – First International Bank (FIB) Group Limited, The Gambia is misleading.
“To set the records straight Slok Nigeria Limited has not sold any of its issued share capital in FIB Group Limited, The Gambia to any person or organisation.
“Be it known that Slok Nig Ltd remains the legal/genuine owners of FIB Group Ltd. and its subsidiary banks.
“Recently, an illegal attempt by one Lilium Grays Ltd to take over the subsidiary banks of FIB Group Limited was dismissed by the Supreme Court of The Gambia via a judgment delivered on 30th July, 2019, thus reaffirming that Slok Nigeria Ltd is the legal/genuine wholly owner of FIB Group Limited and its FiBank subsidiaries in Guinea, Gambia and Sierra Leone.”
