LATE last night, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) made good the promise by its Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to publish the list of those who are indebted to the five banks, whose management were last Friday dissolved by the CBN.
Topping the list of the mega bad debtors is Ascot Offshore Nigeria Limited, which has N44.67 billion loan burden with Intercontinental Bank Plc. Its directors were named as Joey Chuma Obue, Samuel Aikhionbare, Henry Imasekha and Emmanuel Nwachukwu.
Also, Rockson Engineering Limited, with Mr. J.I.A Arumemi-Ikhide, owner of Arik Air and Mrs. Mary E. Arumemi-Ikhide as directors, is owing the same bank N36.99 billion.
Notore Chemical Industries Limited being operated by Onajite Okoloko was listed as owing Oceanic Bank N32.39 billion, secured from Oceanic Bank, while the troubled Transnational Corporation Plc has N30.86 billion to pay Union Bank, with Dr. Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke listed as its director.
Falcon Securities Limited, with Peter Ololo, Simbabe Joseph and Emmanuel Ugbo as directors, is owing Afribank N29.5 billion. The company is again owing Oceanic Bank N22.26 billion. Also, Rahamaniyya Global Resources Limited, owned by Abdul Rahaman Musa Bashir has a non-performing loan of N28.59 billion with Oceanic Bank.
Mid-Western Oil and Gas Company Plc, owned by Onijite Okoloko and Adams Okonen has N23.86 billion to pay Oceanic Bank.
Surprisingly, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Mr. Herbert Wigwe, managing director and deputy managing director of Access Bank Plc, respectively, are owing Intercontinental Bank N16.25 billion, through their company - United Alliance Company of Nigeria Plc.
Other top bad debtors listed by CBN include Mr. Femi Otedola, N12.8 billion (Intercontinental Bank) through his company, African Petroleum Plc and another N6.2 billion is owed Union Bank through his Zenon Oil; Mr. Oba Otudeko, immediate past president of Nigerian Stock Exchange, (NSE), N1.6 billion (Oceanic Bank) through Honeywell Group; and Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, N14.78 billion (Oceanic Bank), through Global Fleet Industries Limited.
Forbe's rated richest man in Nigeria and NSE president, Alhaji Aliko Dangote also has a non-performing loan of N2.5 billion to clear with Oceanic Bank, secured through Dangote Industries Limited.
Prince Fredrick Akinruntan, owner of Obat Oil and Petroleum Company was also listed to be owing Oceanic Bank N4.47 billion.
On the whole, over N746.19 billion non-performing loans were recorded against the mega debtors in the five banks.
With N278.20 billion, Oceanic Bank recorded the highest volume of the non-performing loans, followed by Intercontinental Bank with N210.9 billion.
Afribank is being owed N141.86 billion; Union Bank N73.58 billion; and Finbank N42.45 billion.
CBN, in the advertorial, described the debtors as the largest and vowed to continue publishing the list of the defaulters on an on-going basis.
The apex bank said: "Following the recent regulatory action of the Central Bank of Nigeria on the five banks, it has become necessary to use this medium to request the following defaulting customers of the affected banks to pay without further delay, their indebtedness, failing which the banks will take appropriate legal actions to ensure repayment.
