I wrote a reference letter for my friend's brother in 2019, he got the job eventually. He worked in the establishment for three years and travelled out (Japa) to Canada in July 2022, three months ago without telling anybody including his elder brother who is my friend. Now the organization sent me an e-mail detailing how he violated his employment conditions. The same mail was sent to my friend who also gave him a letter of reference. The organization asked that we persuade him to come and disengage properly by giving one month notice or one month salary in lieu of notice and do proper handing over of all properties of the organization. These properties were not mentioned. I got the mail yesterday and forwarded it to the guy on WhatsApp. His only reply is "Egbon, don't mind them, I'll connect them soon".
I told his brother who told me he also got the same mail as he also gave him a reference letter for the job. He told me he heard about his travel after he don japa for one month in August.
Friends how do I go about this?

wwwkaycom:
. His only reply is "Egbon, don't mind them, I'll connect them soon".

the kind of wicked soul you would have been labelled if you had not written that letter, now see the weak disrespectful reply he gave on such a sensitive matter.

I have learnt NEVER to blame anyone for not helping.

There is no o problem with that. The company is just pained. Let him pay them the one month and handover their property. The brother can do that for him though.

You gave a reference, but that does not mean you gave a surety for him, nor does it give them the right to trouble you.

Ignore them!

Since it was a reference you gave,just ignore them.. Nothing will happen...If there's going to be any consequence,it's the guy that will suffer for it not you.

budaatum:
You gave a reference, but that does not mean you gave a surety for him, nor does it give them the right to trouble you.

Ignore them!

Thank you brother. My lawyer just sent a message to me on the issue now. He said I didn't enter into any bond for him and that they are only telling us to pressurize him to follow the normal protocol for disengagement and that since they didn't say he took a loan or whatever, it is normal. He said we should persuade him to talk to the company on phone and pay the one month salary which is 85k, he said it is good for him to clear his desk properly too.

wwwkaycom:
I told his brother who told me he also got the same mail as he also gave him a reference letter for the job. He told me he heard about his travel after he don japa for one month in August.
Friends how do I go about this?

Go about what? You were asked to tell him to contact them to finalize issues and you have done just that, right?

There is an adage which say you should not use shit to mess up a door you passed through cos you might need to use that door again...most Nigerians do not know this!

It was only a reference letter not a guarantor's letter, right? If that's correct, you are not liable at all in anyway, the reference letter was just a summary of his work ethics and character based on your past knowledgeof him. They shouldn't have sent you the email. You can choose to ignore or answer them that you have since lost touch with him.

Again, you only referenced his character based on what you knew, not guaranteed him. Cheers.

wwwkaycom:
Thank you brother. My lawyer just sent a message to me on the issue now. He said I didn't enter into any bond for him and that they are only telling us to pressurize him to follow the normal protocol for disengagement and that since they didn't say he took a loan or whatever, it is normal. He said we should persuade him to talk to the company on phone and pay the one month salary which is 85k, he said it is good for him to clear his desk properly too.

Good, hope you didnt have to pay consultation fee or even lose sleep over it