Sen Andy Uba embarrassed and shamed after Heritage Bank stormed his home

Ex-Senator from Anambra State, Andy Uba, says he is so embarrassed at the moment, after videos and pictures of Heritage Bank employees arriving his Asokoro home in Abuja to demand for payment of debt owed, went viral and became a WhatsApp staple for most of Monday, June 21, 2021.

The more than 20 stern-looking bankers in branded T-Shirts and jeans, surrounded the entrance into Uba's Abuja home, while holding aloft placards.

They accused Uba of collecting loans from the bank and refusing to pay back.

Uba who is running for the office of Governor of Anambra State, says the move by the bank was politically motivated to tarnish his reputation and harm his chances of governing his state, ahead of the November vote.

He is also demanding N5 billion in damages.

“Our client’s attention has been drawn to a video currently being shared on WhatsApp, showing not less than 25 staff of the Abuja branch of Heritage Bank Plc., wearing customised Heritage Bank Plc T-shirts; carrying placards and signages with defamatory inscriptions written on them, at the front gate of the residential premises of our client, in Asokoro Abuja," Uba writes through his lawyer Ahmed Raji.

"The deliberateness of the action is founded and the intent, to wit: – bring our client to public opprobrium, shame, ridicule, scorn etc. is glaring for all to see.

Senator Andy Uba (NASS) ece-auto-gen

“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 5 national daily newspapers within a day of receipt of this letter and payment of N5 billion in damages," the statement adds.

However, Managing Director of Heritage Bank, Ifie Sekibo, says the bank had to picket Uba's home because it had been left with no choice.

Ifie Sekibo is MD of Heritage Bank (Bread crunch) Ifie Sekibo is MD of Heritage Bank (Bread crunch) Pulse Nigeria

"Consistent with our strategic business objective, we had prioritized the recovery of all 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 the customer.

"While we did not deliberately put our colleagues' action on social media, I urge that we see the aftermath of the recent events in line with our resolve to realising our recovery objective with a view to sustaining and improving our service delivery to all our stakeholders.

"I encourage us all to be bold and tenacious, fiercely engaging the market and refusing all forms of intimidation which this current phase may present," the bank's boss wrote in an internal memo to staff.