The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has commenced the process of liquidating the bank’s assets across Nigeria.
This move comes as part of NDIC’s role as the liquidator of the failed bank, aimed at recouping funds and resolving outstanding liabilities.
The NDIC, through an advertorial published in major newspapers, has announced the sale of 48 properties belonging to Heritage Bank.
These properties include the bank’s head office located at 143 Ahmadu Bello Way and its annex at 130 Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Also, the liquidation covers chattels such as vehicles, office equipment, plant, and machinery spread across 62 locations nationwide.
Interested parties are invited to participate in a public competitive bidding process. They have been given the opportunity to inspect the assets and submit bids to acquire them.
The bidding process requires potential buyers to submit bids accompanied by a Certified Bank Draft amounting to 10% of their bid.
Successful bidders will be required to settle the balance within two weeks of notification of their successful bid.
The liquidation process marks a significant step in NDIC’s efforts to manage the fallout from Heritage Bank’s closure effectively.
The corporation has also commenced the verification and payment of depositors with balances of N5 million or less, a category that constitutes about 99% of the bank’s customer base. According to Bello Hassan, the Managing Director of NDIC, Heritage Bank had approximately 2.3 million depositors with total deposits amounting to N650 billion, while its loan portfolio stood at about N700 billion.
The decision to revoke Heritage Bank’s license was made by the CBN due to the bank’s persistent breach of regulatory requirements and its inability to improve its financial position despite intervention measures.
This action underscores the CBN’s commitment to maintaining financial stability within the banking sector and protecting depositors’ funds.
Stakeholders within the banking industry, including the Bank Directors Association of Nigeria (BDAN) and the House of Representatives, have expressed support for the regulatory actions taken.
BDAN’s Chairman, Mustapha Chike-Obi, emphasized the necessity of such decisions in safeguarding the overall health of the banking sector.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has passed a resolution urging the CBN to investigate the management and leadership of Heritage Bank to ascertain if any mismanagement or wrongdoing contributed to its failure.
The resolution also called for a comprehensive review of NDIC’s operations to ensure it is adequately equipped to fulfill its mandate as a deposit insurer and investor in failed banks.