Social media influencer, Japheth Omojuwa says it is untrue that he used the name of former Education Minister, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili as a Director in his company, Alpha Reach Limited, without her authorisation.
He further described the allegation as “ungodly”, warning that he would not hesitate to use every information at his disposal to defend himself.
This was contained in a letter dated April 14, 2021, by Omojuwa’s lawyers, Babalakin & Co. in reply to a similar one by Ezekwesili’s lawyers, Falana & Falana’s Chambers.
In the April 9 letter, Ezekwesili’s lawyers demanded a public apology and full disclosure of the circumstances surrounding how she came to became a Director of Alpha Reach, which was incorporated in 2012, without her authorisation.
Ezekwesili’s letter was issued following a Buzzfeed report that exposed Alpha Reach and Omojuwa’s alleged involvement in a social media campaign seeking support for Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman fighting extradition to the United States over money laundering charges.
Mr. Saab is currently under house arrest in Cape Verde.
In their letter, Ezekwesili’s lawyers had stated that their client never incorporated any company with Omojuwa and Malam Nasir El-Rufai (current Governor of Kaduna State).
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In their reply letter, Omojuwa’s lawyers confirmed that their client indeed listed Ezekwesili and El-Rufai as Directors of Alpha Reach at incorporation in 2012 but did so with their permission.
“Our client sought and obtained your client’s consent before listing her as a Director of the company, based on their close relationship, which you curiously omitted to mention in your letter,” the letter signed by Boonyameen Babajide Lawal for Babalakin and Co Legal Practitioners stated in part.
Omojuwa’s lawyers stated that their client maintained a special relationship with Ezekwesili which dated back to 2011.
“At a point in our client’s life, your client was his most trusted person and confidant. Some people can attest to this fact, and they will, at the appropriate time and forum,” the letter addressed to the Head of Chambers, Falana and Falana’s Chambers, further read.
The letter stated that Ezekwesili was removed as a Director in 2017 when it appeared that President Muhammadu Buhari could appoint her into his administration.
“Clearly, your client is a successful public figure with whom our client had a close relationship. It is reasonable that our client wanted to leverage her reputation to advance the company he promoted. It was not until 2015 when it was certain that HE Mallam El-Rufai was going to become the Governor of Kaduna State and the likelihood that your client could be appointed a Minister by the then President-elect Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, that they both were removed as Directors of the company. You might recall that your client honoured the ruling party’s invitation to deliver a keynote speech at a public forum in Abuja in 2014, and there was a general expectation that she would play a role in President Buhari’s government. Indeed, your client leaned on our client to publish and distribute her speech at the APC forum,” the letter further read.
Omojuwa’s lawyers claimed that their client’s relationship with Ezekwesili soured because he refused to allow her control his public views.
Addressing Ezekwesili’s request for full disclosure of documents submitted at the Corporate Affairs Commission in the course of registering Alpha Reach, Omojuwa’s lawyers said such would only be granted if she agreed to a written undertaking of confidentiality.
“In your letter, you requested full disclosure of documents. Our client is very much willing to disclose documents relating to the period between September 2012 and April 2015, when your client was a Director of the company. However, given how your client and her family shared the letter under reference on social media (in clear demonstration of bad faith) after our client had already acknowledged receiving it, your client and her family could not be trusted not to disclose the company’s sensitive corporate information if it is made available to her. Our client would only make those documents available to your client upon a written undertaking that the documents would be treated with utmost confidentiality,” the letter read.
Read full text of the letter here:
Pastor @obyezeks, you served me legal notice publicly, so I was left with no choice but to serve you publicly too. PS: I won’t react to the unwarranted provocation from you, your sons & allies. You betrayed my loyalty, service & respect to you, for reasons I don’t understand. xx pic.twitter.com/Hbj8Atmjn4
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) April 14, 2021