‘We’re yet to receive any correspondence from NBA on Ogunba’s clearance’

Yemi Davids, Corporate Communications Manager, Honeywell
Group, in this interview with GODWIN DUNIA said his company was yet
to receive any correspondence from the Nigerian Bar Association
(NBA) on its reported clearance of Lagos lawyer, Mr. Kunle Ogunba
of allegations of professional misconduct.

Is it true that Honeywell is plaintiff in the case
between it and Ecobank?
Yes, Honeywell instituted the suit against Ecobank due to Ecobank’s
failure to adhere to the initial ruling of the Bankers’ Committee,
which ruled in Honeywell’s favour to the effect that based on the
agreement reached at the meeting of July 22, 2013, the payment of
N3.5 billion by Honeywell was full and final settlement of its
obligations to the Bank.

In view of media reports on Ogunba’s clearance by the
NBA, what is your view regarding the petition? 
We are unaware of the clearance of Mr. Ogunba by the NBA. Honeywell
is the petitioner. We petitioned the NBA against Mr. Ogunba and we
expect that whatever decision the NBA reaches will be formally and
officially communicated to us. As at today, Honeywell has not
received any notification or correspondence from the NBA saying it
has reached a decision on our petition. So, it is our belief that
NBA has still not reached a decision. As a matter of fact and by
the news coming out in the media that there are already two
clearances by the NBA, it is unconscionable that this will be the
case. In view of our disbelief, which is based on the sequence of
events leading up to the dates being bandied by the media, it is
absolutely impossible that there is a decision, let alone a
clearance by the NBA.

Has the NBA in anyway contacted Honeywell about the
clearance?
NBA has neither contacted Honeywell regarding a decision on the
petition nor provided any update on it. Note that this is despite
the fact that we have written three letters respectively dated
November 20, 2017; January 17, 2018 and March 7, 2018 and received
by the NBA requesting update on the petition.

Have you received any update then?
The last letter we received from the NBA was the one dated October
26, 2016 forwarding Ogunba’s response to our petition and
requesting our comments if any. We have not received any other
correspondence since then.

Nigerians are reading different angles of the story. Did
Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) actually
investigate the matter?
The LPPC did and their decision is publicly available. The LPPC
issued a formal statement on its decision on the matter. The LPPC’s
statement was issued on January 11, 2018 and the Secretary of the
LPPC/Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mrs. Hadizatu Mustapha,
signed it. Note also that prior to the release of LPPC’s press
statement, there was formal hearing, where the parties went as far
as cross-examining the other. It was a full hearing attended by
Ogunba (representing himself) and the Honeywell represented by its
own lawyer.

What is Honeywell’s position to NBA’s alleged silence on
this issue?
We believe that there is no decision yet. The NBA will formally
notify us when it reaches a decision on our petition.

Yemi Davids, Corporate Communications Manager, Honeywell
Group, in this interview with GODWIN DUNIA said his company was yet
to receive any correspondence from the Nigerian Bar Association
(NBA) on its reported clearance of Lagos lawyer, Mr. Kunle Ogunba
of allegations of professional misconduct.

Is it true that Honeywell is plaintiff in the case
between it and Ecobank?
Yes, Honeywell instituted the suit against Ecobank due to Ecobank’s
failure to adhere to the initial ruling of the Bankers’ Committee,
which ruled in Honeywell’s favour to the effect that based on the
agreement reached at the meeting of July 22, 2013, the payment of
N3.5 billion by Honeywell was full and final settlement of its
obligations to the Bank.

In view of media reports on Ogunba’s clearance by the
NBA, what is your view regarding the petition? 
We are unaware of the clearance of Mr. Ogunba by the NBA. Honeywell
is the petitioner. We petitioned the NBA against Mr. Ogunba and we
expect that whatever decision the NBA reaches will be formally and
officially communicated to us. As at today, Honeywell has not
received any notification or correspondence from the NBA saying it
has reached a decision on our petition. So, it is our belief that
NBA has still not reached a decision. As a matter of fact and by
the news coming out in the media that there are already two
clearances by the NBA, it is unconscionable that this will be the
case. In view of our disbelief, which is based on the sequence of
events leading up to the dates being bandied by the media, it is
absolutely impossible that there is a decision, let alone a
clearance by the NBA.

Has the NBA in anyway contacted Honeywell about the
clearance?
NBA has neither contacted Honeywell regarding a decision on the
petition nor provided any update on it. Note that this is despite
the fact that we have written three letters respectively dated
November 20, 2017; January 17, 2018 and March 7, 2018 and received
by the NBA requesting update on the petition.

Have you received any update then?
The last letter we received from the NBA was the one dated October
26, 2016 forwarding Ogunba’s response to our petition and
requesting our comments if any. We have not received any other
correspondence since then.

Nigerians are reading different angles of the story. Did
Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) actually
investigate the matter?
The LPPC did and their decision is publicly available. The LPPC
issued a formal statement on its decision on the matter. The LPPC’s
statement was issued on January 11, 2018 and the Secretary of the
LPPC/Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mrs. Hadizatu Mustapha,
signed it. Note also that prior to the release of LPPC’s press
statement, there was formal hearing, where the parties went as far
as cross-examining the other. It was a full hearing attended by
Ogunba (representing himself) and the Honeywell represented by its
own lawyer.

What is Honeywell’s position to NBA’s alleged silence on
this issue?
We believe that there is no decision yet. The NBA will formally
notify us when it reaches a decision on our petition.