Shareholders of banks quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange have urged the Central Bank of Nigeria to publish the names of non-performing debtors of all the banks in the country in the spirit of transparency.
The leaders of the various shareholder groups, who spoke with our correspondent on Monday, stressed the need for the apex bank to publish the names of those who were indebted to all the banks, especially the ones that were non-performing, now that the audit of banks had been concluded.
The Shareholders‘ position, according to the President of the Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mr. Boniface Okezie, is premised on the fact that almost all the banks made provisions for bad loans in their 2008 financial year.
According to Okezie, ‘‘The CBN should publish the names of the bad debtors of all the banks, both the cleared and uncleared ones, to ensure that the process is transparent, because all the banks made provisions in their last financial year.‘‘
On the indictment of Spring Bank and BankPHB by the CBN, Okezie said, “The rot in the banks was due to inadequate regulation by the CBN. The acquisition of Spring Bank by BankPHB was the beginning of their problems. All the money the bank raised was used to buy Spring Bank. Despite the case in court, they bought Spring Bank, and the CBN approved it.‘‘
Another shareholder, who is the President of the Ibadan Zone Shareholders Association, Chief Aderemi Oyepeju, agreed with the position of Okezie, but he suggested that the apex bank should publish only the names of the bad debtors who were not showing the banks their willingness to pay.
According to him, “I agree partially with that position, and disagree. Those who have shown no sign of repayment should be published.
“Names of debtors, who display nonchalant attitude to repayment should be published, but those who are showing signs of repayment should not be published.‘‘
http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200910071324998