ZLP condemns barricade of Senator Uba's residence by Heritage Bank

The Zenith Labour Party, (ZLP) has condemned in totality the barricade of Senator Andy Uba's residence by the staffer of the Heritage Bank, describing it as grossly irresponsible and against ethics and ethos of banking profession.

Senator Uba's residence in Abuja was barricaded by staff of the Bank on Monday, June 21 2021 with reason that as a customer, he is owing the Bank and they went to him for a peaceful meeting.

A press statement signed by the national chairman, ZLP Chief Dan Nwanyanwu in Abuja on Wednesday on the alleged unlawful barricade and picketing of the residence of the Senator, made available to Daily Times reads:

"I condemn in the strongest terms, the barricade and taking over of the residence of Senator Andy Uba by some staffers of the Heritage Bank in the early hours of Monday, June 21, 2021 with reasons that the Senator is owing the Bank and that they went to him for a peaceful meeting.

"The act of the Bank and their staffers is grossly irresponsible and against the ethics and ethos of the banking profession," he said.

He further explained that what happened between Senator Uba and the Heritage Bank was a business relationship clothed with fiduciary understanding which is not for public drama.

"By the action of Heritage Bank, they have acted in an ignorious manner as paid hirelings out to embarrass and disgrace Senator Uba in other to satisfy their paid masters rather than a genuine attempt to recover the so called debt. No responsible Bank or its officials anywhere in the world will act in that manner.

"As a banker for many years, I know that Banks don't recover their debt through a public show rather, there are procedures and mechanisms available to any bank to recover any debt owed by a customer that is getting difficult to be repaid.

"I don't know when it has become a crime for individual and business concerns to borrow from a Bank.

"Most business concerns run their businesses with some facilities from Banks in a fiduciary relationship and it is never a crime, after all, Nigeria is owing."

Nwanyanwu also, stated that in times of politics, particularly now that the primary election by different political parties including the party of Senator Andy Uba are also selecting their governorship candidates, "actions of the Heritage Bank at this critical point lends credence to the fact that the action was political, aimed at working against the interest of Senator Uba who is also an aspirant in the state for the race of governor in Anambra state.

"I urge Senator Andy Uba to brief his lawyers to take Heritage Bank to court for damages for a breach of fiduciary relationship between the Bank and himself and for the financial institution to pay for their bad behavior.

"My intervention in this matter is to let the Heritage Bank and other similar institutions like that know that Nigeria is not a Banana Republic where rules are not observed.

"When the contract between the two parties was entered into, the public was not involved and not aware, and you can not dance naked in the market Square under the guise that you were on debt recovery," he noted.