By Taiye Agbaje
The Legal Consultant of Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML), Mr Kunle Kolawole, has called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to intervene in the ongoing crisis rocking the company.
Kolawole, who made the call on Friday during a press briefing in Abuja, said the management crisis had impacted negatively on the AMML, one of the FCT-owned revenue generating companies.
The lawyer alleged that the Group Managing Director of Abuja Investments Company Limited (AICL), Mr Abubakar Maina, and his cohorts had continued to frustrate the operations of AMML against valid court judgment and order.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Donatus Okorowo of a Federal High Court, Abuja had nullified the redeployment of Alhaji Abubakar Faruk, the Managing Director (MD) of AMML, by the immediate-past Minister of FCT, Mohammed Bello.
The judge also nullified the reconstitution of the AMML Board of Directors chaired by Mr Maina on Feb. 21 by the ex-minister on the grounds that it contravened the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), 2020.
Besides, Justice R.B. Haastrup of a National Industrial Court, Abuja, on July 26, also nullified the termination of Faruk’s employment by Maina on behalf of AMML’s shareholders against a valid court judgment.
Kolawole, however, said that the decision of the embattled MD to challenge his redeployment and the reconstitution of the AMML board, “both done illegally, did not go down well with the powers that be in the FCT, specifically, by some staff of the FCT administration and the AICL, who viewed the court action as a challenge to their powers and authorities.”
He alleged that Maina convened an unlawful general meeting of members of AMML on July 17 where a supposed decision to terminate Faruk’s appointment was taken.
He said the purported termination letter was published in national dailies.
Besides, he said Maina wrote to bankers of AMML to “freeze/PND the AMML accounts with the aim of crippling its operations and makes it difficult for AMML to fulfil its operations and its tax obligations to government.”
The lawyer, who alleged that there had been sponsored defamatory media campaign against AMML and its MD, said meetings were also held with traders with a view to inciting them against the company.
Kolawole said “the escalating lawlessness of Maina has led him into constituting himself and his company secretary as the board of AICL despite a clear presidential order dissolving the said board.”
The AMML Legal Adviser, Mr Felix Edache, said President Tinubu, in a letter dated June 27, directed the dissolution of the boards of Federal Government parastatals, agencies, institutions and government-owned companies.
Edache alleged that despite the directive, Maina continued to sign AMML board resolution, even against court order.
“We humbly appeal to the incoming minister of FCT, the National Assembly, the IGP and the Presidency to direct Mr. Sadiq Abubakar Maina, FCTA (Federal Capital Territory Administration) and AICL to simply obey court orders and allow peace and tranquility in our markets and FCT,” he said.(NAN)
