Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Wednesday clarified that Skye Bank is neither distressed nor liquidated following recent messages spreading to de-market the bank.
The CBN said the clarifications were necessary due to the malicious message urging customers of Skye Bank to withdraw their deposits or transfer them to other banks based on the vile allegation that the bank had been liquidated by the CBN.
“The CBN wishes to state, and emphatically so, that it has not liquidated Skye Bank or any other Deposit Money Bank for that matter,” CBN acting spokesman, Isaac Okorafor, said in a mailed statement.
The CBN further reiterated its earlier assurance that Skye Bank was not in distress and remained a healthy bank in the Nigerian banking system. “Indeed, the health of the Nigerian banking system remains strong, all banks in Nigeria are safe and depositors have no cause to fear over their deposits.”
Following the reappointment of Skye Bank board and management last month over corporate governance issues, indications emerged that the CBN was planning to inject some huge sums into the bank to resuscitate it.
The actual amount is not yet known, but BusinessDay reliably gathered that the apex bank officials met severally with the management and board members of for talks on how to get the bank to its feet.
In the statement on Wednesday, Okorafor said while it would be recalled that Skye Bank had corporate governance challenges, the CBN had since taken proactive steps to resolve the issues identified.
“Indeed, the CBN is satisfied with the efforts of the new management to reposition Skye Bank for effective service delivery,” he stated, and “accordingly, customers of Skye Bank and other stakeholders are advised to disregard any message purporting a liquidation of the bank.”
