A Bank That Shaped Us and Broke Our Hearts (Part 2)

I was angry and heartbroken.

The $80,000 had already gone into paying debts, salary arrears, and initial costs. And it wasn't just about money. It was about respect and honouring agreements.

John Addo, Head of Corporate (later MD) and Mary Brown, the DMD, advised me not to walk away.

"You've come too far," John said.

I slept on it, went back to the MD, and accepted his terms. His response was curt:

"Good, good, let's continue."

No gratitude. No acknowledgment. Just business. Almost as if he thought we had been trying to cheat the bank, and he had caught us.

During the integration process, the real education began.

Madam Justina Osei-Poku, a 20-year veteran at PBL, essentially midwifed our platform into being. She tore our product apart with lines like:

“It won’t work this way.”

“This is how banking works”

Every critique was constructive. Every correction an education.

PBL's strict security-conscious and process-driven culture shaped us quickly. They refined our processes, sharpened our competence and drilled into us proper reconciliation, settlement, and reporting.

We rolled out the platform and worked with PBL for ten years, until early 2024.

Nsano’s exit from PBL remains one of my greatest heartbreaks.

New management came with new interests. The institutional memory of our relationship lost, mistrust and strange incidents ensued.

The breaking point came in a room full of executives when Theo (an alias) accused us of refusing to integrate Ria Money Transfer onto their platform after he had “brought them to us.”

I was livid.

"First, if you had introduced Ria and we couldn’t integrate them, I would have done it myself at Nsano – I’ve been chasing them for years. Second, what you are saying is ridiculous. You never made that request. Pull out the email if you did.”

He couldn't. To this day, no proof has been produced.

The relationship spiralled to the point of PBL demanding we pay back what they paid for the custom built remittance platform we built in 2020.

When the tone turned condescending, I snapped:

"Do you think you're dealing with some small boys? We've done this business for a while. Don't talk to us this way."

I drew a firm line:

"We will not pay back anything. Absolutely not. Take us to court if you like."

The MD was stunned. The call ended. Days later, a termination notice arrived.

It was the worst experience we’ve had with a bank – to feel bullied, disrespected and taken for a ride.

Despite this turn of events, I hold PBL dear as a crucial partner that shaped Nsano in recognition of Frank, Madam Justina, John, and other early executives who built us up.

In fact, my answer to “Which bank contributed most to the making of Nsano during your tenure as CEO?” remains PBL.

Other banks have given us bigger opportunities and more money, but none shaped us more deeply.

What relationship in your business has been both your greatest teacher and your biggest heartbreak?

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