National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
The management of Heritage Bank onTuesday gave one of its Executive Directors, Mrs. Mary Akpobome, a clean billof health, saying she had being performing her duties creditably.
In a statement denying an online news portal report that she hadbeen asked to resign her position for allegedly authorising unwholesometransactions, the bank said neither Akpobome nor any of its management teammembers had been found wanting, dismissing the report as mischievous.
“We strongly disclaim all allegations made in the very maliciousreport published on the news blog that Mrs. Mary Akpobome or any other memberof 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 thede-marketing of the bank its major occupation, betrayed its crass ignorance ofbanking rules in Nigeria.
According to the bank: “Financial institutions have credit policies governingits processes and management. These policies are designed and enforced byregulatory agencies to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the entire creditchain. But above all, Heritage Bank like all other banks in Nigeria are underthe strict supervision of the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
Heritage Bank said its operations were in strict compliance withextant laws and established banking principles which could not have allowed anymember or a group of members of the management team to manipulate it.
It said: “Heritage Bank has never been controlled by any oneindividual or ‘powerful’ individual(s) as deceitfully stated by this onlinenews platform. Heritage bank is a legal entity, and like any other publicliability company, is managed by an efficient Management and Board accountableto all its stakeholders and the Central Bank of Nigeria”
The management assured its customers that it would continue tomanage the bank efficiently and sustain its reputation as one the fastestgrowing commercial banks in the country.
“Consistent with our core values, we are resolutely committed to strictadherence to regulations and to our service contract with all ourstakeholders,” the bank said.
