Kelechi Udoagwu: ‘Tizeti lawyers didn't speak to the sources I provided'

Kelechi Udoagwu: ‘Tizeti lawyers didn't speak to the sources I provided'

Udoagwu says Sofowora's law firm insisted on a virtual interview with her, even though she wanted a written interview.
   
   
   
       
       
           
               
                   

Udoagwu says Sofowora's law firm insisted on a virtual interview with her, even though she wanted a written interview.

               
           
               
                   

Tech entrepreneur and consultant, Kelechi Udoagwu, who accused the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of internet service provider Tizeti, Kendall Ananyi, of sexually harassing her, says the “independent special investigation committee” set up by the company to probe the allegation never existed.

               
           
               
                   

“My lawyers and I were not informed of the independent special investigation committee throughout the proceedings of this fiasco,” she wrote on her Medium page.

               
           
               
                   

She added that “there was no process, transparency, clarity, structure, or independence in the activities that were jumbled into what is now being called an “investigation by an independent special investigation committee” by Tizeti.”

               
           
               
                   

'I gave all my information to the accused and his partner'

               
           
               
                   

Udoagwu made the allegation on June 2, 2020.

               
           
               
                   

Tizeti announced that it had suspended Ananyi as CEO on June 7, 2020 and that it had set up an independent investigation.

               
           
               
                   

On July 7, 2020, Tizeti reinstated Ananyi as CEO of Tizeti, submitting that the law firm of Olumide Sofowora and the independent committee had established “that a case of sexual harassment had not been established,” against Ananyi.

               
           
               
                   

Tizeti also said "Olumide Sofowora examined the allegations, researched what actions would constitute sexual harassment, gathered relevant information from a number of sources in both Nigeria and Ghana and conducted a number of interviews, including separately interviewing both the accuser and Mr. Ananyi."

               
           
               
                   

                                   

Tizeti co-founder Kendall-Ananyi has been accused of sexual assault (Techpreneur)

               

               
           
               
                   

However, Udoagwu said Sofowora’s law firm tried to arm twist her and her lawyers into doing their bidding and that when she requested to know which other board members were on the Tizeti end of things, the law firm directed her back to Tizeti.

               
           
               
                   

“Since finding out that Ananyi is 50% of the Tizeti board, with the only other member being his male co-founder, I haven’t been able to shake off the thought that I gave all my information to the accused and his partner,” she wrote.

               
           
               
                   

She said she asked Sofowora to include “a letter of his appointment by the Board of Directors of Tizeti. I wanted to be assured that there were indeed other independent individuals or parties involved, and not Kendall Ananyi, at the Tizeti end.”

               
           
               
                   

Sources were not spoken to

               
           
               
                   

Udoagwu also said even though she sent Sofowora’s team a list of persons to talk to, not one person was contacted.

               
           
               
                   

“Sofowora’s team asked that I send them full names, redacted screenshots of the stories women had shared with me in my DMs regarding Kendall Ananyi, personal WhatsApp conversations, and other corroborative information regarding the case. These, I overzealously shared via Twitter DM with the Associate counsel.

               
           
               
                   

                                   

Kendall Ananyi, CEO and Founder of Tizeti at the 36th edition of Startup Sunday meetup in Lagos, 2017

               

               
           
               
                   

“I was lighthearted when done. Soforowa had me believing in justice. They gathered this information like they were going to follow up with the names and anonymous sources to get a bigger picture of the case. But they didn’t call one person. None of the people I mentioned was contacted," she wrote.

               
           
               
                   

She added that: "I went in without armour to the video interview and answered their questions as they came. I could not hold back surprise when they asked me if I was in a relationship during the time of the sexual harassment. I responded, “what on earth does that have to do with this case?”

               
           
               
                   

Pulse had reached out to Sofowora chambers to provide answers regarding which sources were spoken to during the investigation, what its terms of reference were and how a conclusion of ‘not guilty’ was reached in Ananyi’s favour.

               
           
               
                   

"It will be nice to know which sources your esteemed law firm spoke to in Nigeria and Ghana, as the press statement from Tizeti details; and how the conclusion of Not Guilty was arrived at in Ananyi’s favour," Pulse had written.

               
           
               
                   

“Thank you for your email raising certain queries regarding the report of our independent investigation into the sexual harassment allegation made by Kelechi Udoagwu against Kendall Ananyi which was commissioned by Tizeti Network Limited under private and confidential cover,” Sofowara Chambers had written back.

               
           
               
                   

                                   

Kelechi Udoagwu [She Leads Africa]

               

               
           
               
                   

“This fact of confidentiality was also made clear to the parties just before we commenced interviewing both of them independently since one of them indicated that court action was being contemplated.

               
           
               
                   

"Having submitted our report to Tizeti, we believe that you should direct your queries to Tizeti as we are not legally obliged to release the report or aspects thereof to anyone apart from Tizeti who commissioned us.”

               
           
               
                   

Pulse has repeatedly reached out to Tizeti for comments. The company is yet to respond to these requests.

               
           
               
                   

Sexual harassment policy

               
           
               
                   

Udoagwu has also asked that Tizeti share its new sexual harassment policy with the public.

               
           
               
                   

“Men, you don’t understand — sexual harassment is frightening. It is an encroachment of your personal space, with the aggressor intent on taking from you, not just any possession of yours, but your very body; your most private of parts.

               
           
               
                   

                                   

Kelechi Udoawgu (She leads Africa)

               

               
           
               
                   

“I ask that we all hold Tizeti accountable to update and share their new sexual harassment policy.

               
           
               
                   

“The sexual harassment policy was the desired outcome I told Soforowa I wanted, in addition to an acknowledgement or apology from Kendall or Tizeti or both, not only for the sexual harassment incident but also for how this has been handled since then,” she wrote.

               
           
               
                   

A Pulse request to Tizeti on disclosure of its sexual harassment policy has also not been responded to before this story was published.

               
           
               
                   

Pulse has also contacted Sofowora Chambers on Udoagwu's allegation that the sources she provided were not spoken to. We will update this story with the firm's response once we have one.

Source: Kelechi Udoagwu: ‘Tizeti lawyers didn't speak to the sources I provided'

- gist culled from pulseng