Exclusive: New Year Tears: Unity Bank MD Ebenezer Kolawole sacks over 100 staff on New Year Day As Their Thank You Present

Secrets Reporters

As Nigerians shout “Happy New Year” to one another in churches and in clubs across the country, little did some bankers know that their New Year will begin with sadness.

On January 1st 2026, Mr Ebenezer Kolawole, the Managing Director of Unity Bank Plc pierced the hearts of his workers all over the places they have branches when he directed the head of Human Resources to serve over 100 staff their termination letters and immediately deny them access to all logins.
The New Year ‘gift’ which came as a rude shock to the affected staff SecretsReporters gathered, sent some of them to the hospitals.

On January 2nd 2026, we obtained an exclusive document written by the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) and addressed to the MD/CEO of Unity Bank, to immediately reverse the sack of 42 staff that they are aware of or face a show down and industrial actions.

They accused the MD of wrongful termination without consultation, valid reasons and failure to comply with due process, thus contravening the Nigeria Labor Act as well as the scheme of merger document between Unity Bank PLC and Providus Bank PLC.

SecretsReporters gathered that Unity Bank had earlier reached an agreement with the bankers that no employee will be sacked as a result of the merger without due consultation and due process, an action which ASSBIFI termed “provocative and a deliberate violation of due process”.

The union has asked the MD to withdraw the termination letters immediately and be ready for a meeting with them to resolve the matter amicably.

An ultimatum of 8th January 2026 has been issued by the warring union to address the matter promptly to avoid taking the necessary industrial actions.