To Obi Enweze: DC Embassy Real Estate Transactions: Ephraim Emeka Ugwuonye Esq. Responds

[olaka...@aol.com]

Hi Obi:

I hear you!

I am personally disturbed by the degree of tribal sentiments that is being injected into a fee dispute between a client --in this case, the FGN, represented by its Embassy in Washington, DC and the law firm representing her interests, in this case ECU Associates.

As far as I am concerned all other matters, including the circumstances that led to the recall of the Ambassador Rotimi are extraneous to the underlying issue.

As you are probably aware, Ambassador Rotimi has issued a public apology for the offensive comments about Biafra on this matter. This is where the matter of the recall of the ambassador should have ended.

Emeka's case and that of his law firm are best served by framing the issue as one between the FGN and ECU Associates without invoking the respective personalities. Ambassador Rotimi's role in the matter is not a personal one as he was only acting in his capacity as the official agent of the FGN in the USA.

Emeka's latest memo to Minister Ojo Maduekwe about his dispute with Ambassador Rotimi has the potential to further
encourage those who are inclined to view this controversy principally through their ethnic goggles.

If I had had the opportunity to see Emeka's memo before it was sent, I would have advised him against taking this step, however aggrieved he could have been
about the Sahara Reporters article.

Emeka's memo does not advance his interests or that o f anyone else in this dispute. It does not help resolve ECU's fee dispute with the FGN. It also does not help assuage the already frayed
relationship between Minister Ojo Maduekwe and Ambassador Rotimi.

My position and interest in this matter are anchored on two pillars:

1) fairness and equity to all parties.

This is the reason that I have advocated that we should extricate the matter of the recall of the ambassador and his dispute with the minister of foreign affairs from the issue of the lien that has been placed on a sum of $1.55 million dollars belonging to the FGN by ECU Associates, notwithstanding the seeming nexus between these issues.

I have asked myself whose purpose is being served by pursuing this linkage any further. While I doubt, that Ambassador Rotimi's recall would ever be reversed by President Yar'adua even if he is found to have been wronged by Chief Ojo Madukwe, I also do not see how further escalation of the matter would advance the settlement of ECU's accounts with the FGN and release of the her funds which belong to all Nigerians.

Ideally, I would want immediate release of the sum of $1.55 million (belonging to the FGN and all Nigerians) which is being withheld by Emeka Ugwuonye's ECU Associates. I also would like to see the FGN settle all outstanding verifiable accounts owing to ECU Asssociates immediately.

2) douse the embering flames of divisiveness along ethnic lines that this matter has20ignited.

Thanks.

Bye,

Ola

-----Original Message-----
From: obi enweze <obie...@yahoo.com>
Sent: Fri, 13 Mar 2009 4:06 pm
Subject: Re: [NaijaPolitics] DC Embassy Real Estate Transactions: Ephraim Emeka Ugwuonye Esq. Responds

Dr. Kassim et al:

 

For completeness, find attached his official communication, sent to the relevant Nigerian authorities (his actual client).

If you ask my opinion, I will encourage Mr. Ugwuonye to simply ignore the recalled-Ambassador. His client is the FGN, and not an ex-employee, who left under a less-than- favorable circumstances. The best show of maturity by Gen. Rotimi, would have been to show contrition (for what must have been a statement he made, possibly under provocation), and request for another opportunity. This issue would have been death. Going on fishing expedition will not cut it. The facts, even when viewed in a light most favorable to Amb. Rotimi, does not support his conduct before and after the facts. He could have made a more compeling argument, by telling us that he was pr ovoked, I am inclined to make that argument for him, because it is not possible for a man of such standing and age to reckless make statements. However, provocation, anger, frustration etc, will neither justify nor excuse his statement.  Sometimes you wonder why carry officers are not appointed Ambassadors to such sensitive post as Washington.

 

Mr. Ugwuonye has absolutely, no duty to speak on this and actually should not be speaking on it. It is very unfortunate that such irreparable harm, has been visited on his person/reputation. It goes against everything we stand for, if we pull each other down (without justification). If, I were Mr. Ugwuonye, I will not even discuss or say anything about Rotimi. My guess is that he was pushed (the litany of falsehood, being circulated), human nature abhors silence under this type of provocation, but wisdom will support a total silence.

The official publication, without more is simply enough. Anybody who initially suspected any form of ethical violation, should know that his client FGN. If his client, here the Embassy, has any problem with his conduct, she would have taken the necessary action to safeguard her interest. On the contrary he still enjoys a good relationship with the FGN and the Embassy, to whom he owes any duty/explanation.

 

Thx. Obi Enweze

---

From: "OlaKassimMD@aol.com" <OlaKassimMD@aol.com>
To: nidoa@yahoogrouops.com; naijapolitics@yahoogroups.com; naijaelections@yahoogroups.com; nidoeurope@btconnect.com; nca@yahoogroups.com; omoodua@yahoogroups.com; abujaNig@yahoogroups.com; NIDOCANADA@yahoogroups.com
Cc: mat...@msn.com; editor@guardiannigeria.org; Akandeoj@aol.com; nweke.collins@telenet.be; george@rotex.com.ua; Nweke.Collins@pandora.be; salisu@comcast.com; george.c.ogbonna-1...@tc.umn.edu; tolagundoye@laguninternational.com
Sent: Friday, March 13, 2009 2:19:08 PM
Subject: [NaijaPolitics] DC Embassy Real Estate Transactions: Ephraim Emeka Ugwuonye Esq. Responds

 

Dear All:

I have just finished speaking with Emeka Ugwuonye. I missed reading the e mail pasted below

when it was was originally sent to me on March 12, 2008.

Bye,

Ola

 

 

From: Ephraim Ugwuonye
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 11:23 AM
To: 'OlaKassimMD@ aol.com'
Subject: Emeka Ugwuonye

Ola, (feel freed to forward this to your mailing group and Bolaji Aluko, in particular).

I can actually correct an impression right away. I am still representing the Embassy of Nigeria on other matters even as we speak and no one has indicated that they are not satisfied with my work in general. Second, the Ambassador already complained to the Bar and his complaint is recommended for dismissal for lack of merit. Ambassador Rotimi knew that my actions were sound: all he wants is simply to disclose Embassy transactions indirectly by forcing me into defending my actions. That way, he hopes that Nigerians would forget the true reason for his recall. Also, you may ask yourselves this question: the entire payment on the real estate transaction totaling over $25m passed through me. I gave all that money to the Embassy without incident; why would I withhold only $1.5m if my goal was to take their money improperly?

Finally, for your information, the tax refund in question came to us 6 months after Obiozor left Washington and 4 months after Rotimi assumed office. So, all that happened occurred during Rotimi’s tenure. Why are they trying to drag Obiozor into it if not because they want to emphasize that both I and Obiozor are Igbos? Do you know that Obiozor was not the one that signed any of my retainer agreements. That was done by a property management committee comprising of 5 top officers of the Embassy. Indeed, you know that I have been representing the Embassy well before Obiozor became the Ambassador. You also know that Obiozor was not my friend per se. Indeed, he arrived in Washington at a time that the NIDO conflict had thoroughly demonized me before the arriving Ambassador. In fact, it took Obiozor nearly a year in office before he looked at me and told me: “Emeka, you are actually a nice guy, contrary to what I was told.” What is wrong if Ambassador Obiozor is my friend? Ambassador Rotimi is Bolaji Aluko’s friend, which is why he allowed Bolaji to host for personal profit an inauguration party at the Embassy premises in January. Did you hear anybody ask how Bolaji could charge $200 for attending an event that was deceptively characterized an Emba ssy event, while it was indeed a private venture that made money for the organizers? If it had been called Bolaji’s inaugural party and held in Bolaji’s house for $200 a ticket, how many people do you think would have attended? I am not accusing Bolaji of any wrongdoing. Rather, I am saying it may be normal to have an Ambassador who befriends members of the society.

Many of you would never know what kind of work I have done for the Nigerian Government and the Embassy over the years. For instance, who do you think was giving the Embassy of Nigeria legal advice as it went through the fight between Obasanjo and Atiku over the Congress Jefferson’s scandal that led to the FBI search of the house of a sitting Nigerian Vice President? Do you realize the considerable risk I took as people on Obasanjo’s side repeatedly forwarded my memos to Atiku’s people and I got disturbing calls from Atiku’s supporters? Around June of last year, the house in which this Ambassador Rotimi lives was forefeited for tax lien by the Government. Guess what, Amabassador Rotimi forgot to pay the garbage disposal fees to the county and the county government was going to auction his residence. Who do you think saved the situation? I can give you dozens of other occasions when I intervened to solve their problems. Ask Ambassador Rotimi if he ever said a thank you to me how much more pay a dime to me for saving his little butt. Maybe he would have wanted to live in a hotel for a while or maybe have his own opportunity to buy properties in Washington. Unfortunately, I cannot speak beyond these comments because I am bound by confidentiality obligations.  I will speak at the appropriate time. When you see my memos to the Government on each transaction, you will see that I gave them discounts on agreed fees approximately up to 25% in each case. I voluntarily gave back money to the Government of Nigeria. How many people can do that? I cannot allow Ambassador Rotimi to drag me into a gutter war, where the intended casualty is the integrity of the Government of Nigeria.

Ephraim Emeka Ugwuonye, Esquire

President

ECULAW GROUP

Tel: 202-237-8970

Tel: 301-588-9315

e-Fax: 240-489-9300

Skype No: 202-684-6459

Email: e...@eculaw.com

Website: www.eculawng. com

Website2:www. eculaw.com

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:

This communication is from a law firm or a lawyer, and may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If it has been sent to you in error, please contact the sender for instructions concerning return or destruction, and do not use or disclose the contents to anyone.

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[Qansy Salako]

Exactly, all these shady activities are extraneous to the specific case of Amb. Rotimi’s recall.

Ugwuonye’s detention of embassy money and Rotimi’s recall are two un-identical twins delivered by a wayward embassy mother husbanded by a dysfunctional Nigeria father.

The babies are not products of each other, they are only related by being members of the same malfunctioned family.

 

And Ola, why should Ugwunoye return the $1.55m money of a difficult and unpredictable client owing him years of payments for service?

He is essentially using it to force the embassy to honor its contractual obligations before folks keep retiring mission budgets year after year and not remember cumulating attorney fees.

I would do the same if I was in his shoes.

 

Listen Ola, if you won’t pay me the $25 you owe me for my gardening services cutting your yard and your neighbor came by to return your new mountain bicycle which he had borrowed but you weren’t home and he gave it to me to give you, I would take joke and awada detain the bike o, you hear.

Just may be that would make you pay me my $25.

Conny man dey owe, trickster dey collect am…. wetin wrong for dat.

Any rule is the rule of the game……..decent people nor dey play.

 

And then someone said Ugwuonye charged the embassy too much…..I say “bladder dash!”

I go charge you for $10,000 per hour….I go pay am….shake hands and signatures….nor be contract be dat?

I beg….ewu charging Nigeria too much…at least Ugwuonye delivers for his pay.

 

My only entertainment for the whole charade was where Ugwuonye said he was giving 15% rebate back to the embassy out of patriotic love for Nigeria.

I said to my wife….awwww….now that’s a golden citizen of our Republic.

Ephraim can die for Nigeria…walahi.

 

Qansy Salako

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