The Roman Catholic diocese of Enugu-owned Umuchinemere Pro-credit Micro Finance Bank Enugu (UPMFB) now has a new Chairman. He is Rev Monsignor Dr Anthony Chukwuma Anijielo, a Roman Catholic prelate. Msgr Anijielo emerged the new chairman of the bank at the 20th Annual General Meeting of the bank where the shareholders unanimously ratified his nomination by the diocese through the Board of Directors of the bank.
Umuchinemere Pro-credit Micro Finance Bank, first established as a community bank by the Catholic diocese of Enugu during the time of late Bishop Michael Eneja, began formal banking operations on July 22, 1995 and later transformed to a micro finance bank in 2007 when the Federal Government of Nigeria introduced micro finance banking in the country.
The Enugu diocese, its various lay apostolate organs, pious societies and many other individuals, largely Catholic faithful, have the ownership of the bank.
Msgr Anijielo succeeded Msgr Prof Obiora Ike who held the position since 2008, having taken over from the pioneer chairman of the bank, Sir Gabriel Akachukwu, a former President of the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA).
Msgr Anijielo, an experienced administrator, one time secretary of Enugu diocese and currently the Parish Priest of St. Leo the Great parish, Federal Housing Estate Abakpa Nike Enugu (where Ike was the immediate past Parish Priest), was ordained a priest in Germany in 1980, having studied Theology at the Leopold Franzen University in Innsbruck in Austria and Specialised in Fundamental Theology.
He is from Ebe in the Udi local government area of Enugu state, with an impressive pedigree and vast experience in administrative, pastoral and secular engagements.
He has been closely associated with the bank and has been on its Board for some time now, where he is currently the oldest in the membership. He has three books to his credit and edited a couple of others and contributed many articles to other publications. Being an experienced administrator and very conversant with the bank, Msgr Anijielo is well positioned to inspire confidence, provide quality leadership, give the bank right direction and take it to greater heights.
In his acceptance speech, the new chairman assured the AGM that with the support of the shareholders, the board, management and staff of the bank they would work together to continue to move the bank forward from where his predecessor stopped, promising to do his best for the bank. The former chairman of the bank, Msgr Prof Obiora Ike is now in Geneva Switzerland, where he heads a world body on Ethics.
