The management of Heritage Bank on Tuesday, March 8, 2017 gave one of its executive directors, Mary Akpobome, a clean bill of health, saying she has been performing her duties creditably.
In a statement issued by the bank, denying an online news portal report that she had been asked to resign her position for allegedly authorising unwholesome transactions, the bank said neither Akpobome nor any of its management team members had been found wanting, dismissing the report as mischievous.
“We strongly disclaim all allegations made in the very malicious report published on the news blog that Mrs. Mary Akpobome or any other member of our board and management have in any way engaged in any fraud whatsoever,” adding that she “remains a valued executive director of the bank.”
It said the online news platform, which had in recent times made the de-marketing of the bank its major occupation, betrayed its crass ignorance of banking rules in Nigeria.
The bank did not name the platform in its statement, however, SaharaReporters has been on a campaign to discredit Heritage Bank. The vicious attack on the bank is an extension of the tabloid’s fixation on Nigeria’s Senate President Bukola Saraki.
SaharaReporters declared Heritage Bank distressed without any proof in 2016 and continues to push out stories to support its malicious narrative. The Central Bank of Nigeria refuted that report and gave Heritage Bank a clean bill of health.
The partisan news platform believes that Saraki is a major stakeholder in the bank.
“Financial institutions have credit policies governing its processes and management. These policies are designed and enforced by regulatory agencies to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the entire credit chain. But above all, Heritage Bank like all other banks in Nigeria are under the strict supervision of the Central Bank of Nigeria,” the bank’s statement said.
Heritage Bank said its operations were in strict compliance with extant laws and established banking principles which could not have allowed any member or a group of members of the management team to manipulate it.
“Heritage Bank has never been controlled by any one individual or ‘powerful’ individual(s) as deceitfully stated by this online news platform. Heritage bank is a legal entity, and like any other public liability company, is managed by an efficient Management and Board accountable to all its stakeholders and the Central Bank of Nigeria,” the statement said further.
The management assured its customers that it would continue to manage the bank efficiently and sustain its reputation as one the fastest growing commercial banks in the country.
“Consistent with our core values, we are resolutely committed to strict adherence to regulations and to our service contract with all our stakeholders,” the bank said.
