Godwin Tsa, Abuja

An Abuja-based law firm, KACCL, has threatened legal action against the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) over contractual issues arising from the release of the second tranche of about N645.5 billion Paris Club Fund to the ‎Forum.

‎Already, the law firm has filed a pre-action notice over refusal of the Forum to pay its consultancy fee.

The said letter of demand and pre-action notice , dated December 14, 2018 and addressed to the Director General of the Nigeria Governors Forum was  signed by one Rapheal Oyewole, a lawyer in the said law firm.

This is coming on the heels of a pending lawsuit lodged before a London ‎Court by one of the foreign consultant seeking to attach a property belonging to a Nigerian citizen believed to be involved in the alleged misappropriation of the Paris Fund.

‎Besides, Daily Sun gathered that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has seized some properties and part of the money alleged to have been misappropriated.

In the letter entitled ‘Re-Request for payment of our consultancy fee from the second and last tranche payment of the Paris Club refund’, which also served as pre-action notice, the law firm threatened to take a legal action against the forum if the said fee is not paid.

READ ALSO: 2019: Accept outcome of elections, Etsu Nupe enjoins politicians

Those to be joined as Defendants in the proposed  legal action are the Attorney General of the Federation, Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of Nigeria, EFCC and a foreign consultant partner, Mr. Yer Lawrence and the United Global Resolve for Peace.

The law firm took the action after the NGF said that it would not pay the consultant fee for the second tranche of the money recently paid.

The letter, a copy of which was obtained by Daily Sun in Abuja reads in part, “Please further recall that we were engaged as a consultant to the Forum and the role played by us in recovering the total sum paid to the Forum as a refund was largely strategic and behind the scene. All in all, we ensured that the interest of all the member states was protected and all necessary entitlement paid.

Related News

“It is crystal clear that the agreement reached on 6th June, 2018 was for the payment of our consultancy fee on the first tranche of the Paris Club Refund already paid and ascertainable.

“Howbeit, it is unreasonable for us as a consultant to demand and/or request for payment on an uncompleted transaction or futuristic recoveries .

“Hence , the payment made to us was only for the first tranche of the Paris Club Refund recovered through collective efforts of the appointed consultants one of which we are.”

The law firm, however, demanded  for the payment of its consultancy fee for the second and last tranche of the Paris Club Refund totaling N645, 500 ,000,000 billion which was recently paid to the member states of the Nigerian Governors Forum.

It equally notified the forum, that should it fail to pay the said sum, within 30 days of receipt of the letter, it shall be constrained to seek redress before a court of law in recovering its fees without further recourse to the Forum.

READ ALSO: I’m blind, but I have vision, says visually-impaired gospel singer

The law firm further stated  that it is joining the AGF and Ministry of Finance in the proposed suit considering the supervisory role they played in the disbursement of the fund.

The firm said it would join the CBN as the warehouse of the fund.

In addition, the firm noted that the EFCC will be joined in the suit, having recovered and being in custody of some properties and part of the funds misappropriated.

The firm is equally joining Lawrence and UGRP, being its strategic partners, who acted as consultants under the firm and presently in demand of their fees and expenditure.