Social commentator, Japheth Omojuwa has responded to Former Minister of Education, Obey Ezekwesili’s April 9 letter which demanded a public explanation and an apology for enlisting her as one of the directors of his company, Alpha Reach, without her consent and approval.
ALEDEH News had reported that Ezekwesili asked Omojuwa to issue an apology and a public statement regarding the issue.
According to the former Minister, Alpha Reach Limited was incorporated at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in 2012, as a construction company and she was listed as Director alongside Omojuwa, Damilola Ogunleye, Nasir el-Rufai Nasir. The letter stated that a notice of change of directors was filed in 2017 through which the list of directors were altered and the name of Ezekwesili removed and replaced with that of Indimi Ahmed Mohammed, the son-in-law to President Muhammadu Buhari.
It added that sometime in March 2021, someone from Buzzfeed called Ezekwesili to inform her that she was listed as a director of Alpha Reach Limited alongside el-Rufai and Omojuwa.
Part of the letter sent by Ezekwesili’s lawyers, reads in part: “It is our brief that our client promptly contacted you but you informed her that the Alpha Reach Company Limited is your company and that she is not involved in it at all. Our client also requested for the incorporation documents from you and you promised to make the same available to her within a week but you never did.
“That you never informed our client of an intention to seek for her consent or participation in incorporating any company whatsoever and for any purpose whatsoever.”
It added: “On account of the foregoing, we have the firm mandate and instruction of our client to demand the following: That you upon receipt of this correspondence cause to be issued a public statement/apology exonerating our client from the incorporation process and activities of the Alpha Reach Limited.”
Responding on Tuesday, Omojuwa in a letter by his counsel, Babalakin and Co, maintained that the minister was enlisted as director of the company with her ‘full consent’ but she was removed alongside el-Rufai after it was certain that Ezekwesili could be appointed Minister and el-Rufai was going to be Kaduna Governor.
He went down memory lane on how he met Ezekwesili 10 years ago (2011) when he had just finished the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) noting that they both shared a cordial relationship for years.
“Your client shared not only personal information but also her uncomplimentary opinions about other prominent people and former colleagues, with our client that she ordinarily would not share publicly…” the letter reads in part, adding that that “these actions define the extent of the shared trust between both of them.”
“Our client has similar documentary proof regarding the period leading to the removal of your client as a Director of the Alpha Reach Company Limited. The relationship was not one-sided, and our client assisted your client in promoting various causes and engagements, as well as defending your client against perceived attacks on social media, often time on her request.
“The relationship between our client and yours deteriorated because our client is no longer the impressionable boy wo had just completed his NYSC in 2011. He is a man who has earned his stripes and is no longer to willing to fight proxy wars or be used to fight perceived enemies by benefactor. He is tired of your client’s constant efforts to control his public views and tweets.
“In your letter you requested a full disclosure of documents. our client is willing to disclose documents relating to the period between September 2012 and April 2015, when your client was a Director of the company.
“Our client would only make those documents available to your own client upon a written undertaking that the documents would be treated with utmost confidentiality.”
The letter added that Omojuwa is ready to use every piece of information at his disposal to defend himself and his future against Ezekwesili’s ‘ungodly allegations.’