Exhibit 99.1

     STATEMENT UNDER OATH OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL
OFFICER REGARDING FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES RELATING TO EXCHANGE ACT FILINGS

I, George A. Schaefer, Jr., state and attest that:

     (1)  To the best of my knowledge, based upon a review of the covered
          reports of Fifth Third Bancorp, and, except as corrected or
          supplemented in a subsequent covered report:

          .    no covered report contained an untrue statement of a material
               fact as of the end of the period covered by such report (or in
               the case of a report on Form 8-K or definitive proxy materials,
               as of the date on which it was filed); and

          .    no covered report omitted to state a material fact necessary to
               make the statements in the covered report, in light of the
               circumstances under which they were made, not misleading as of
               the end of the period covered by such report (or in the case of a
               report filed on Form 8-K or definitive proxy materials, as of the
               date on which it was filed).

          (2)  I have reviewed the contents of this statement with the Company's
               audit committee.

          (3)  In this statement under oath, each of the following, if filed on
               or before the date of this statement, is a "covered report":

               .    Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
                    2001 of Fifth Third Bancorp;

               .    all reports on Form 10-Q, all reports on Form 8-K and all
                    definitive proxy materials of Fifth Third Bancorp filed with
                    the Commission subsequent to the filing of the Form 10-K
                    identified above; and

               .    any amendments to any of the foregoing.


/s/ George A. Schaefer, Jr.                           Subscribed and sworn to
- ---------------------------                           before me this 14th day of
George A. Schaefer, Jr.                               August, 2002.
August 14, 2002

                                                      /s/ Debra E. Aldred
                                                      -------------------------
                                                      Notary Public

                                                      My Commission Expires:

                                                      July 12, 2004
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