A former senator from Anambra State, Andy Uba, has threatened to file a lawsuit against Heritage Bank over the protest staged by some of the bank’s staff at his residence.
Confiance News had reported about a video that surfaced on Monday showing no fewer than 20 young bank workers – men and women, in branded T-shirts and jean trousers, gathered in front of what they described as Uba’s house in protest, with placards in hand.
They accused Uba of collecting loans from the bank and refusing to pay them back.
The protest by the bank workers went viral on social media.
Read also: Unpaid loans: Heritage Bank staff allegedly protest at Senator Ubah’s residence
In a letter on Wednesday signed by Uba’s lawyer, Ahmed Raji, the Senator said the action of the bank workers has exposed him to ridicule, shame and embarrassment.
He alleged that the bank intentionally staged the protest days to the All Progressives Congress (APC) Anambra governorship primary election of which he is an aspirant, to smear his campaign.
He, therefore, asked the bank to tender an apology in five national dailies and pay N5 billion in damages or risk a lawsuit.
The statement read, “Our client’s attention has been drawn to a video currently being shared on WhatsApp, showing not less than 25 [twenty-five] 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.
“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 5 [five] national daily newspapers within a day of receipt of this letter and payment [Five Billion Naira] 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.”
(Sahara Reporters)
