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...Clears Benue ADC Guber aspirant of embezzlement allegations
The Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN), a pro-democracy and anti-corruption organization, has cautioned against smear campaigns targeting Dr. Peter Adejoh, a governorship aspirant in Benue State, over allegations of embezzlement linked to the defunct Peach & Prime forex trading company.
In a statement signed by its President, Edward Omaga, Esq., and made available to newsmen on Friday, the group, comprising lawyers, gave a clean bill of health to Dr. Adejoh and his management team over allegations of siphoning investors’ funds in the defunct ‘Peach & Prime’ foreign exchange (forex) trading, exonerating him of any wrongdoing or fraud.
The GICN said it conducted a preliminary investigation into the social media outing against ‘Peach & Prime’ and discovered it was politically motivated, as there was no court in Nigeria that indicted Dr. Adejoh over the failed portfolio management company, which was occasioned by the global economic recession of 2009. Neither has anyone complained amongst the investors.
The group noted that Dr. Adejoh, an upright and sincere businessman and politician with integrity, decided to stay back in Nigeria despite the pressure at the time and activated a process to refund genuine and verifiable individuals who invested in the business, which lasted barely a year, despite not being responsible for the recession.
The statement read: “During this period, countless legitimate businesses and investment ventures across the world suffered severe losses from the capital market. The records are online for everyone to verify!
“We are aware that the company, in order to demonstrate accountability, responsibility, and integrity, published a Public Notice through various media platforms, including the Daily Trust and ThisDay newspapers on Monday, April 19, 2021, calling on all past genuine investors to forward their claims and supporting information to a designated email address for urgent and prompt consideration, having been a business that shut down. Copies of the said publications are hereby attached to this Press Statement.
“We are reliably informed that most of the investors who complied with the instructions in the publication and went through the verification processes are being paid, and this window remains open and repayment is ongoing to date, demonstrating a willingness to address legitimate concerns in good faith and not out of compulsion.
“There is therefore no justification for people to prematurely label the company and its owner as fraudulent without first availing themselves of the opportunity for engagement, fact-finding, and resolution,” the group said.
The GICN cautioned that any attempt by political opponents to use members of the same community to undermine and discredit their own kinsman is “unpalatable and unconscionable and ought to be rejected entirely.”
The group added that Dr. Peter Adejoh has been widely recognized as an astute entrepreneur, employer of labor, and philanthropist, whose contributions to society and humanitarian efforts are astounding.
The statement concluded: “Over the years, he (Adejoh) has impacted numerous Nigerians through scholarship initiatives, business empowerment programs, and direct support to individuals and communities in need. These verifiable acts of generosity and social responsibility stand in sharp contrast to the present wave of unsubstantiated allegations being circulated against him.
“It should be known that Dr. Peter Adejoh has never been prosecuted and or convicted by any court of law for fraud relating to the operations of the now-defunct Peach & Prime Limited. As a matter of fact, he is the only one among the leading operators and forex traders at the time of the market crash who never absconded or ran abroad but stayed back to pay verified clients through an appointed agent.
“Over the past seventeen years that the forex market crashed, Dr. Peter Adejoh chose to remain in Nigeria and lawfully rebuild his businesses, spanning key sectors of the economy through hard work and determination. Such efforts of probity and hard work should be commended and not condemned.”
The group condemned the attempt by some enemies of progress and social media attack dogs to spread rumors about the issue, which occurred over 16 years ago
“No doubt, the period in question – between 2008 and 2010 when Nigerians invested in foreign exchange (forex) trading, oil and gas business and real estate through Peach & Prime Limited and other market operators at the time coincided with one of the worst global economic recessions in modern history”, querying why it would take 17 years later and when Dr. Adejoh is now gunning for elective position, that an already settled issue would reappear on social media, in the name of creating contents.
