The Heritage Bank PLC has reacted to the video making rounds in
the media over the visit by its staff to Senator Andy Uba,
representing Anambra South Senatorial District in the Senate.
![image](/2020/10/lawreport.jpg")
![image](/2021/06/Legal-Research-On-The-Go2.jpg")
The Bank, in a memo signed by its Managing Director, Ifie
Sekibo, shared by TRIXX
NG[1] and
sighted by Nairalaw, the bank says the visit is premised on
the objective of the bank to recover its debts and nothing more
![image](/2021/05/NBASBL2021.jpg")
“Out attention has been drawn to a recent video currently making
the rounds online, where some of our colleagues visited the
residence of one of our debtors in Abuja in accordance with our
loan recovery drive. As expected, this video has generated a
variety of sentiment, thoughts, and opinions which at this juncture
requires some context to facilitate better customer management and
ourselves as a team.
“Consistent with our strategic business objective, we had
prioritized the recovery of all our outstanding loans owed the
bank, with the clear intent to bring same in conformity with agreed
levels. Consequently, the recent visit of our colleagues was in
line with this objective and solely to address the indebtedness of
our customer.
“While we did not deliberately put out our colleagues’ action in
social media, I urge that we see the aftermath of the recent events
in line with our resolve to realizing our recovery objective with a
view to sustaining and improving our services delivery to all our
stakeholders,” Sekibo said
He, therefore, encourage the staff to “be bold in tenacious,
fiercely engaging rye market and refusing all forms of intimidation
which this current phase may present.”
Recall that Senator Uba, who is an All Progressives Congress
(APC) aspirant in the forthcoming Governorship election in Anambra
State, has threatened to sue Heritage Bank over the trending
video.
In a letter dated June 23, 2021 signed by his lawyer, Ahmed
Raji, SAN, Senator Uba argued that the actions of the bank staff
have exposed him to ridicule, shame and embarrassment.
He, therefore, asked the bank to tender an unreserved apology in
five national dailies and N5billion damages.
”Despite your veiled denial, the deliberateness of your staffs’
action is founded and the intent, to wit: – bring our client to
public opprobrium shame ridicule scorn etc. is glaring for all to
see.
”This is more so, as you deliberately picked the rather
inauspicious period immediately preceding the forthcoming
gubernatorial primary election of the All Progressives Congress
[APC] for Anambra State slated for the 26th of June 2021, wherein
our client is the leading candidate to clinch his Party’s ticket,
to stage this smear campaign against him.
”Surely, the damage occasioned to our client by your calculated
but ill-advised action is unquantifiable. However, our client will
be assuaged if a public apology, unreserved, is tendered by you and
published in at least five national daily newspapers within a day
of receipt of this letter and payment N5b in damages.
”If not, we have our client’s further instructions to seek
redress against you in a court of law for the same. Kindly be
advised.
”We do hope that you will take benefit of the olive branch
offered in this letter; the gamble, otherwise, is yours to suffer.”
the letter reads in part.
The Heritage Bank PLC has reacted to the video making rounds in
the media over the visit by its staff to Senator Andy Uba,
representing Anambra South Senatorial District in the Senate.
The Bank, in a memo signed by its Managing Director, Ifie
Sekibo, shared by TRIXX
NG[1] and
sighted by Nairalaw, the bank says the visit is premised on
the objective of the bank to recover its debts and nothing more
“Out attention has been drawn to a recent video currently making
the rounds online, where some of our colleagues visited the
residence of one of our debtors in Abuja in accordance with our
loan recovery drive. As expected, this video has generated a
variety of sentiment, thoughts, and opinions which at this juncture
requires some context to facilitate better customer management and
ourselves as a team.
“Consistent with our strategic business objective, we had
prioritized the recovery of all our outstanding loans owed the
bank, with the clear intent to bring same in conformity with agreed
levels. Consequently, the recent visit of our colleagues was in
line with this objective and solely to address the indebtedness of
our customer.
“While we did not deliberately put out our colleagues’ action in
social media, I urge that we see the aftermath of the recent events
in line with our resolve to realizing our recovery objective with a
view to sustaining and improving our services delivery to all our
stakeholders,” Sekibo said
He, therefore, encourage the staff to “be bold in tenacious,
fiercely engaging rye market and refusing all forms of intimidation
which this current phase may present.”
Recall that Senator Uba, who is an All Progressives Congress
(APC) aspirant in the forthcoming Governorship election in Anambra
State, has threatened to sue Heritage Bank over the trending
video.
In a letter dated June 23, 2021 signed by his lawyer, Ahmed
Raji, SAN, Senator Uba argued that the actions of the bank staff
have exposed him to ridicule, shame and embarrassment.
He, therefore, asked the bank to tender an unreserved apology in
five national dailies and N5billion damages.
”Despite your veiled denial, the deliberateness of your staffs’
action is founded and the intent, to wit: – bring our client to
public opprobrium shame ridicule scorn etc. is glaring for all to
see.
”This is more so, as you deliberately picked the rather
inauspicious period immediately preceding the forthcoming
gubernatorial primary election of the All Progressives Congress
[APC] for Anambra State slated for the 26th of June 2021, wherein
our client is the leading candidate to clinch his Party’s ticket,
to stage this smear campaign against him.
”Surely, the damage occasioned to our client by your calculated
but ill-advised action is unquantifiable. However, our client will
be assuaged if a public apology, unreserved, is tendered by you and
published in at least five national daily newspapers within a day
of receipt of this letter and payment N5b in damages.
”If not, we have our client’s further instructions to seek
redress against you in a court of law for the same. Kindly be
advised.
”We do hope that you will take benefit of the olive branch
offered in this letter; the gamble, otherwise, is yours to suffer.”
the letter reads in part.