Heritage Bank Plc, SaharaReporters has learnt, is a ghost that
its management is desperately trying to give the appearance of a virile
financial institution. Sources in the bank told SaharaReporters that the
management has been borrowing money to pay salaries since September 2016, after
gouging the bank through a variety of abuses that included theft of physical
cash and award of contracts at grotesquely inflated sums.
The Managing Director, Mr. Ifie Sekibo, said a source, illegally
stole physical cash and in foreign currencies under the guise of foreign
exchange transfers. The source warned depositors to endeavor to recover their
deposits before the bank finally goes bust.
One of the tricks employed by the management to give the bank an
appearance of solidity, disclosed another source, was the recruitment of a
former MultiChoice top gun. The management, the source added, also sold one of
the bank’s properties on Femi Pearse Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, to attain
a measure of liquidity. The proceeds from the sale were used to pay the rent of
the bank’s offices at Ajose Adeogun and Moshood Olugbani streets, both on
Victoria Island, Lagos.
“What sensibly-run business sells assets to pay for rent?” asked
the source.
The management, SaharaReporters also gathered, is currently
sacking staff suspected to have leaked the story of the bank’s parlous state to
this website. The sack exercise, which is being carried out in batches, is
targeted at staff considered disloyal to the bank. One of the affected staff
told SaharaReporters that the conduct of the management advertises itself as
more disloyal to the bank than the staff being relieved of their jobs. He added
that the story was widely suspected to have been leaked by an executive
director, who was also forced to resign in November
saharareporters
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