Prince Ned Nwoko
By Victory Oghene
The Executive Chairman of Linas International, Prince Ned Nwoko has threatened to slam a libel suit against the Nigeria Governors` Forum.
According to Prince Nwoko`s lawyer, Onyeka Nwokolo of Rolls Law Firm, Abuja, `One of the false and defamatory statements which has been trending on the social media since Sunday , 21 August 2022authored by one Abdulrazque Bello-Barkindo on behalf of the Nigeria Governors` Forum (NGF) alleged as follows;
`it is curious that in the introduction of himself, Mr. Ned Nwoko said nothing about his current status with the UK Law Society and the widely held belief that he was disbarred for fraudulent activities` Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, the Director Media and Public Affairs of Nigeria Governors` Forum allegedly quoted this in a statement
Prince Nwoko`s lawyer stated that the quoted statement was profoundly malicious and false as Ned Nwoko was not disbarred from legal practice in the United Kingdom.
Nwoko`s lawyer submitted that a practising certificate for the year 2020/2021 was issued by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, a regulator of solicitors and law firms in England and Wales to Prince Nwoko.
Barrister Nwokolo further said that `the above unguarded and unwarranted statement was issued by Bello-Barkindo as part of the rebuttal of the very serious issues raised by Prince Nwoko about the NGF`s refusal to fulfil obligations including even commitments entered into in the court of law over the Paris Club Refunds`
` Your resort to unfounded and fabricated story to attack his person instead of responding to the issues is devious, wicked and libelous` Nwokolo said
Prince Nwoko`s lawyer added that `Your quest is to damage his reputation, cast him as a devious, manipulative, dishonest and fraudulent person of questionable character who is making claims against you`.
` The implication and innuendos from the false allegations is to abuse the minds of the public and rouse public support against your refusal to pay his consultancy fees instead of addressing the issues in controversy`
Nwokolo described Nwoko as a man with unblemished pedigree.
`It is a common knowledge that Prince Ned Nwoko attended University of Keele and Kings College, University of London, two world renowned institutions where he obtained his first degree and masters. After his call to the English Bar, as member of the Lincoln`s Inn, he re qualified as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales`
`Prince Nwoko had the rare fortune of establishing and growing one of the most successful law firms in Great Britain in the 1990s. By dint of due diligence and divine grace, he was adjudged by credible legal authorities in London as the best black lawyer of African descent resident in the UK`
The former lawmaker wants the NGF to retract the libelous publication in two national daily newspapers with an apology within 48 hours of receiving the letter and pay the sum of $40,000,000 (forty million United States dollars) as compensation for the malicious, false and disparaging publications.
