The Nigerian in Diaspora Commission has vowed not to bow to blackmail and threats, saying it was focused on protecting the interests of Nigerians in the diaspora.
This follows the commission’s disagreement with Optiva Capital Partners Limited over the firm’s proposed diaspora investment plan.
Optiva had said it was targeting $5 billion with the launch of a new product tagged, ‘Diaspora Investor Direct Investment,’ asking Nigerians abroad to send money to them directly for investment purposes.
However, NiDCOM, on January 23, warned Nigerians to be wary of ”some unscrupulous groups canvassing for business opportunities with it.”
In an advisory issued in Abuja, the Director of Media and Public Relations of the Commission, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said that the firm was not known to NiDCOM which, in line with the Act of the Parliament (2017) and National Diaspora Policy of 2021, has the mandate to engage with Nigerians in the Diaspora about all the services the firm highlighted it is providing for Nigerians abroad.
But NiDCOM pulled down its statement from its social media handles after receiving a letter from Optival Capital dated January 24, soliciting a meeting with the commission. Related News Optiva Capital disagrees with NiDCOM over investment scheme Probe into police killing of Nigerian in Canada ongoing –NiDCOM NiDCOM mourns Nigerian student killed by policemen in Canada
However, Optiva Capital, in a statement on Sunday, insisted NiDCOM failed to carry out the necessary regulatory checks before releasing the January 23 post.
The firm, in a protest letter written by Babalakin & Co and signed by Oyetola Oshobi, demanded an apology from NiDCOM and a retraction of the earlier statement by the commission.
Reacting to Optiva’s demand in a statement on Monday, Balogun accused the company of being ‘clever by half,’ noting that Optiva had earlier admitted its failure to follow due process before pitching its investment offers to Nigerians in the Diaspora.
The statement read, “The attention of the management of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has been drawn to another publication sponsored in the Media by the Optiva Capital Partners Limited through the law firm of Babalakin & Co, asking for an apology and retraction of the press statement issued on January 23, 2024.
“The management views this latest media and legal threat as an attempt to be clever by half, when the same Optiva Capital Partners Limited through its Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Jane Kimemia, wrote the Chairman/CEO of NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa on January 24, 2024, admitting that they had not properly followed laid down procedure in their earlier rushed announcement while also sending emissaries to NIDCOM seeking for partnership and understanding of its proposed Diaspora Investor Direct Investment product which it admitted, is still in the planning stage.
“NIDCOM has also welcomed their letter and reiterated that our responsibility at NIDCOM is to ensure we protect the interests of hardworking and committed Nigerians abroad, willing to invest at home and will not bow to any form of threat, blackmail and intimidation.”
