CBN revokes Skye Bank’s license

• Polaris Bank takes over

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revoked the operating license of Skye Bank Plc even as the apex bank said on Friday that Polaris Bank has taken over its assets and liabilities.

Governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele, disclosed this during a press briefing in Lagos on Friday.  Emefiele said the decision was reached following the inability of the owners of the bank to shore up the capital of the distressed bank which had earlier received a N350 billion intervention in July 2016.

Polaris is a bridge bank set up in concert with NDIC and AMCON and the unveiling was a guarded secret until Emefiele’s announcement in Lagos on Friday.

According to Emefiele, the bridge bank, Polaris Bank will be getting a single digit interest long-term facility of N786 billion from the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

Strangely, the winding up of the bank came five months after the CBN renewed the mandate of the board of the for an additional two years.  Emefiele passed a confidence vote on the board and said it  shall continue to run the bank.

The bank’s board comprised Mr Muhammad Ahmad and Mr Tokunbo Abiru, Chairman and Group Managing Director respectively.

The CBN back in April also said the board was given a new two-year term to turn around the operations of the bank.

“In the two years of the board’s mandate, the team has stabilised the institution, entrenched sound corporate governance and risk management practices, and restored depositors’ confidence.

“In recognition of the stellar performance of the board, the CBN has renewed the Board’s mandate for an additional two-year term till 30th June, 2020.

“We wish to assure the Bank’s shareholders and stakeholders of the commitment of its board and Management, working with the CBN, to conclude various initiatives to achieve a positive turn around for the bank and deliver value to its stakeholders.”

Also, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim said the option of a bridge bank was to ensure that the depositors of the bank are taken care of and deposits are not lost.

Ibrahim said that the bridge bank would also ensure that there would be no job losses as Polaris Bank would retain all staff of the distressed bank under a new contract.

Meanwhile, the share price of Skye bank on Friday gained 4.05 percent at 77 kobo.

The stock is expected to be placed on suspension from Monday in accordance with bridge bank procedures.

The full statement by CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele:

“You will recall that on 4th July 2016, we took a regulatory action on Skye bank Nigeria PLC. Specifically, this action led to the resignation of the Chairman, all Non-Executive Directors on the Board as well as the Managing Director, Deputy Managing Director, and the two longest- serving Executive Directors on the Management Team

“At that time the proactive action was informed by unacceptable corporate governance lapses as well as the persistent failure of Skye Bank PLC to meet minimum thresholds in critical prudential and adequacy ratios, which culminated in the bank’s permanent presence at the CBN Lending Window.

“The focus of the action then was to save depositors’ funds and to ensure that the bank continued as a going concern, being a systemically important bank. Part of our intention was also to stem the imminent job losses to staff if a liquidation option had been adopted. These objectives have been fully achieved and the bank has been able to meet customer obligations, having curtailed the liquidity haemorrhage and restored depositor confidence.

“Indeed, the bank’s performance has improved considerably compared to the pre-July 2016 era.

“The result of our examinations and forensic audit of the bank has, however, revealed that Skye bank requires urgent recapitalisation as it can no longer continue to live on borrowed times with indefinite liquidity support from the CBN. The shareholders of the bank have been unable to recapitalise it.

“As a responsible and responsive regulator and in consultation with the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), we have decided to establish a bridge bank, Polaris Bank, to assume the assets and liabilities of Skye bank. The strategy is for the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) to capitalise the Bridge Bank and begin the process of sourcing investors to buy out AMCON. By this decision, the licence of the defunct Skye Bank is hereby revoked.

“We wish to assure all depositors that under this arrangement, their deposits shall remain safe and that normal banking services shall continue in the new bank on Monday, 24th September, 2018, to enable customers to transact their businesses seamlessly.

“Thus, all customers of Skye Bank shall be automatic customers of the new bank and their accounts and records duly purchased by Polaris Bank.

“Given the good performance of the board and management, the CBN shall retain them. In addition, all employees of Skye Bank shall be absorbed by Polaris Bank under a new contract unless any employee decides to opt out.

“We wish to assure the general public that the Nigerian banking industry remains safe and resilient and that the CBN will continue to live up to its responsibilities of promoting stability in the banking and financial system.”

About Skye Bank

Skye Bank Plc which has metamorphosed  into Polaris Bank was a product of the merger of five legacy banks as a result of the banking industry consolidation and recapitalisation exercise of 2005.  The legacy banks were Prudent Bank Plc, EIB International Plc, Bond Bank Limited, Reliance Bank Limited and Co-operative Bank Plc.

Following the merger, the bank opened three West African subsidiaries in Sierra Leone, Gambia and Guinea.

In 2014, the bank won the bid to acquire the 100 per cent ownership stake of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in Mainstreet Bank Limited, a deal which made Skye Bank one of the top four banks in Nigeria. But the move may also have undermined its books as the bank was taken over by the CBN in 2016.

The defunct bank is quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) with over 450,000  shareholders..