Due to an ongoing inquiry into claims of sexual and non-sexual wrongdoing, Nigeria-based dollar investment fintech Risevest has advised Eke Urum, the company’s founder and CEO, to resign from his position.

According to a statement released on the fintech’s Twitter account, the allegations range from abuse of power to sexual impropriety.

The statement read, “In light of allegations of abuse of power and sexual impropriety, Eke Urum, willingly agreed to step aside as the CEO of Risevest as of August 3, 2022, to allow for a six-week investigation, set up by Risevest’s investors, to run its course.

“We are committed to getting to the root of the matter and have launched a formal investigation to achieve this. The situation is being handled with utmost transparency through an independent panel with no affiliation to employees of Risevest.

“We want to assure our stakeholders and the general public that we continue to operate optimally as a company, and our customers will continue to enjoy the highest quality of services and support. Here are answers to some of the questions you may immediately have.”

According to the company, a panel of independent investigators was formed by Risevest’s investors to thoroughly investigate the allegations. The panel’s members are listed as Toun Tunde-Anjous of The People Practice as people and culture advisor, Tomi Davies of TVC Labs as chairperson, Odunoluwa Longe of TLP Advisory as legal advisor, and chairman.

It added, “The current Head of Operations, Tony Odiba, who has been with Risevest since its inception, has been leading the company as the interim CEO, while Otasowie Evbuomwan still leads Risevest’s United States Operations. Risevest as a company has zero-tolerance for abuse, harassment, and misconduct and is committed to establishing the truth of this matter while also reviewing policies to ensure a safer workplace.

“Findings of the investigation will be made known within two weeks of the conclusion of the investigation process.
Risevest’s operations and investment processes do not rely on any single individual and are completely unaffected by any of these circumstances. Our team continues to manage all investments and operations as usual.”

YNaija