Business Insight Financial Market

Heritage Bank rewards four winners for rendition of national pledge in Pidgin English

Adekunle Abiona November 11, 2020

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L-R: Victor Amakwe, Group Head, Private Wealth Management; Christiana Chukwu, winner in the social media challenge of recitation of National Pledge in Pidgin English; and Cynthia Ndukuba, Head, Head Office Compliance Assurance, Compliance and Transaction Assurance; during N1million cheque presentations to four winners of the videos recitation of “National Pledge” at the bank’s head office in Lagos

Heritage Bank Plc has rewarded four winners whose rendition of the Nigerian National Pledge in Pidgin English were adjudged the best.

The lender instituted the contest in commemoration of the country’s 60th independence anniversary on October 1.

According to a statement issued by the bank on Tuesday, November 10, the four best videos were rewarded with a total cash prize of N1 million.

The bank named the winners as Idowu Ilesanmi, Christiana Chukwu, Onovo Chukwuebuka and Paul Eze, each received a cash prize of N250,000.

It said to commemorate the independence and inculcate patriotic spirit in Nigerians, it slated an online competition for customers to make video recitation of themselves presenting the ‘National Pledge’ in Pidgin English

The bank’s Divisional Head, Corporate Communications/Product Management, Fela Ibidapo, remarked that Heritage bank considered use of Pidgin English as a mark of identity and solidarity.

He noted that the competition was also as a means to promote local content use of language.

According to him, the importance of reciting the pledge in Pidgin English was to help invoke citizens’ national pride of love, devotion and sense of attachment to the country and alliance with other citizens who share the same sentiment.

Ifie Sekibo, Managing Director, Heritage Bank

Ibidapo said, “We are not just excited, but we are also reflecting on what our commitment as individuals has been to our great country Nigeria.

“Looking inwards at our journey over the last 60 years, we believe as an institution that this is the best time to reflect on the National Pledge and what it means to us as a nation.”