YourWay & Beauty Service CEO Faces Allegation of Intellectual Property Infringement.
The Chief Executive Officer of YourWay & Beauty Service, Mr. Achile Akoh, has been accused of intellectual property Infringement by a former staff member, Jennifer Rita Obiora, who previously worked with the company as a Project Manager and Strategist.
Ms. Obiora made the allegation public through posts shared on her Facebook page and on Nairaland, a popular Nigerian online forum. In her account, she claimed that an idea she developed while working for the company was later used without her consent, acknowledgment, or compensation.
According to her, while serving as project manager on a different application being developed by the company, she proposed a framework that would allow medical professionals to be part of the app’s core features. She stated that Mr. Akoh dismissed the suggestion at the time, describing it as unsuitable for the project.
Ms. Obiora further alleged that months later, the same concept was used to develop a separate application known as YourWayApp, without her involvement or approval. She said the framework used in the new app was directly based on the proposal she had earlier submitted during her employment.
She described the action as a breach of agreement and an infringement on her intellectual property rights, which she said is punishable under Nigerian law.
In her statement, Ms. Obiora said she made several attempts to resolve the issue privately by reaching out to Mr. Akoh. However, instead of addressing her concerns, she claimed she received a cease and desist letter from his legal representatives, P. D. Pius & Associates.
The letter, according to her, warned her against making further public statements on the matter and referenced the Cybercrimes Act. She said the move was an attempt to silence her rather than address the core issue of ownership of the idea.
Ms. Obiora has since called on Nigerians to support her quest for justice and fair compensation for what she described as the unauthorized use of her intellectual work.
In a detailed post shared on Nairaland, she wrote:
“I am Jennifer Rita Obiora, a Project Manager and Strategist. I am coming forward to share a legal update regarding a battle for my Intellectual Property (IP).
While working as a Project Manager for YourWay Beauty and Services, I presented a formal proposal to the CEO, Achile Akoh, to include medical professionals in the app. He said the idea was ‘too heavy’ for the app, only to later build a separate app using my framework without offering me partnership or compensation.”
She also disclosed that she has formally reported the matter to relevant authorities, including the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). She noted that the FCCPC case has been registered under the reference number LA09714.
Ms. Obiora stated that she has responded to the cease and desist notice, making it clear that she would not withdraw her claims. She challenged Mr. Akoh and his legal team to provide proof that she was not the original author of the framework in question, adding that she would publicly apologize if such proof is provided.
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“I will not be intimidated into silence,” she wrote. “If legal threats could erase intellectual property, then the law would be meaningless.”
She also described herself as a woman who understands her value and is prepared to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.
As of the time of filing this report, Mr. Achile Akoh and YourWay & Beauty Service have not issued an official public response to the allegations. The situation continues to generate debate online, especially within Nigeria’s tech and startup community, where issues of idea ownership and employee rights remain a growing concern.
This article reports allegations that remain subject to legal review. No court has ruled on the matter as of publication.
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