A group known as the Niger Delta Professionals in Banking and Financial Sector (NDPBFC) says there are certain people who have resorted to using the media to tarnish the image of Heritage bank.
Addressing journalists on Saturday, Joshua Amachre, speaking on behalf of the group, said Heritage bank has shown that they would not bend the rules of banking to accommodate “unwholesome interests.”
He said the Heritage bank team led by Ifie Sekibo remained one of the “healthiest banks” in the country.
“We have noticed in recent times that all sorts of things are now being planted in the media against Heritage bank. We are not surprised at all. In fact we expected this to happen a long time ago,” Amachre said.
“The truth is that Heritage Bank is contending with some powerful persons and their associates who are seemingly opposed to the astronomical growth of the bank.
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“You also have another category of persons who want the bank to continue to do business as usual at a time all the banks in Nigeria are coping with the downturn in the economy and of course the withdrawal of public sector funds from all commercial banks.
“The management team at Heritage bank has shown resilience and tenacity. They have shown that they are not the type of bankers that would bend the rules of banking to accommodate unwholesome interests. Heritage bank is not a place where supposed powerful influences can overwhelm or over awe the managing team to access huge unsecured loans.
“These very experienced and thoroughbred bankers are not allowing this to happen in Heritage bank and expectedly some influential persons the Managers of the bank are stopping from resorting to business as usual are fighting back in a very dirty ways.”
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According to him, those using the media to denigrate the image of the bank know that though being young, Heritage remained one of the best managed banks in the country.
“They know that the bank is very healthy but because of their selfish and self-serving motives they are now beginning to de-market the bank in the media thereby giving customers extremely false impression about Heritage bank,” he added.
“We have decided not to sit back and allow a few persons put the investments of very serious Nigerians in jeopardy. We have enough facts now to resist them.”
On Tuesday, Isaac Okoroafor, Director of Corporate Communication of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), assured customers of the bank to carry out their transactions as the bank was not in distress.
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“The Central Bank of Nigeria wishes to state that Heritage Bank is not in distress and as such its depositors should go about their transactions without fear. For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to further state that no Nigerian bank is in distress,” he said.
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