Optiva Capital Expresses Disapproval With NiDCOM Over Investment Scheme

Optiva Capital Partners Limited has noted its disapproval with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission over the latter’s advisory to Nigerians in Diaspora on the company’s investment initiative.

The investment immigration and wealth management company, according to a statement obtained on Sunday decried what it termed as “defamatory publication” by NiDCOM via its official ‘X’ handle, which was signed NiDCOM Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.

NiDCOM’s post was made just two weeks after Optiva Capital unveiled a new investment programme, tagged Diaspora Investor Direct Investment.

The Optiva Capital in the statement, however, noted that the NiDCOM failed to carry out necessary regulatory checks before releasing the post.

Also, the firm disclosed a protest letter its lawyers had written to NiDCOM over the development.

Addressed to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NiDCOM, the letter was titled, ‘Complaint about the defamatory publication made against Optiva Capital Partners Limited By NiDCOM.’

In the letter, it read, “We hereby state unequivocally that the allegations and imputation against our client in the referenced press statement are false and unjustified. If NiDCOM had conducted basic research and investigation on the allegations, it would not have published the same on its verified official X handle (@nidcom_gov) with over 68,500 followers.”

The letter repeatedly note that the insinuation was having a severe adverse effect on the firm’s business and reputation.

It added, “Our client’s business operates and thrives on the trust reposed by its clients, customers, partners, stakeholders and members of the public. The said tweet is not only defamatory of our client but also extremely defamatory of its identified directors in their personal capacities. Our client is also registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigeria and has been approved to operate as a Corporate Investment Adviser. (copies of our client’s certificate of incorporation with the Corporate Affairs Commission and SEC are attached herewith)”

Although NiDCOM had taken down the publication from its official X handle, the law firm noted and posted a new statement, “There is nothing in the second publication that formally retracts the very injurious statements earlier published to the whole world, and apologise for the damaging effect on our client and its directors’ reputation. In view of the above, our client is constrained to request an unequivocal apology and revocation/retraction of the press statements published in the referenced tweet on NiDCOM’s X handle on 23rd January 2024.”

Optiva Capital Partners Limited recently launched a new product to attract about $5bn in diaspora investment into the country.

While speaking on the significance of the new product, the Chairman of Optiva Capital Partners, Franklin Nechi, said that DIDI’” Our unique product to attract diaspora funds and investments into the country. The objective is to stand in the gap for Nigerians in the diaspora who seek to remit funds home for investment purposes because most of them are afraid of losing their funds to unscrupulous persons or agents, so we bridge that gap.”

In the statement, Optiva Capital Partners, which has been in operation since 2020 and operates globally, has over 21 offices spread out across Africa.