…Says Its CEO Not Part Of Diezani’s Loot
Yemisi Izuora
Aiteo Group says it is committed to building sound business ethics and has so far concentrated energy and commitment towards developing its oil field asset in OML 29 and NCTL upstream, and other substantial assets downstream, which it has developed more than 16 years ago.
The company also noted that it has become a major player in the oil and gas industry especially in importing and exporting petroleum products in Nigeria and was flourishing as a prosperous corporate entity, by any standards.
Aiteos comment on its Investment profile is coming as a media report accused its chief executive, Mr. Benedict Peters as an accomplice in former Petroleum minister Mrs. Alison-Madueke avalanche of loot.
The company in a statement, said, “We have become aware of a defamatory publication by an online newspaper, known for publishing stories with spurious details. This publication alleges without any foundation whatsoever, that our Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Mr Benedict Peters, bought property in England and luxury furnishings for the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke in return for contracts from the NNPC.
The publication contains several untrue and malicious allegations against our Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) and the Aiteo Group. It is obviously directed against the image, reputation and integrity of our EVC and the company in what we have identified as an orchestrated largescale campaign of calumny which is sponsored and designed to tarnish our image.
We have responded to most of the baseless allegations in previous publications but global best practice demands that we tender this rebuttal for the sake of our shareholders, stakeholders, host communities, the many thousands directly or indirectly deriving their livelihood from the company and the public at large”.
Aiteo denied that Mr Peters has not been charged with any criminal offence in Nigeria or any other jurisdiction with respect to any of the matters stated in the publication, adding, “Like every major player in the oil and gas sector, including international oil companies (IOCs), Mr Peters and the Aiteo Group’s interactions with the Minister of Petroleum Resources as with other Ministers before her, were in accordance to acceptable corporate practice in Nigeria. Other than such interaction, there is no commercial link between them and there is no basis for inferring any.
We add that our Group’s contribution to the overall financial capacity of the country, over several years predating her appointment as Minister cannot be over-emphasised. Aiteo has created significant direct and indirect employment, contributed billions of Naira and millions of US Dollars to the nation’s treasury and led to direct foreign investment worth more than US$4 billion. In addition, the company engages in several other corporate social investment programmes in its host communities and the nation generally”.