Confusion after being dismissed: MD and FCTA agency allegedly refuse handover
As one of the managing directors of agencies under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) purportedly refused to transfer a few days after being fired by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, there was uncertainty at the FCTA office in Abuja on Wednesday.
Recall that on Wednesday last week, the FCT minister removed the FCTA’s 21 agency and company leaders from their positions with immediate effect.
The MD/CEO of Abuja Investment Company Ltd., the CEO/MD of Abuja Markets Management Ltd., the MD/CEO of the Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company, the CEO/MD of the Abuja Property Development Company, and the CEO/MD of the Abuja Technology Village Free Trade Zone Company are just a few of the affected heads.
In a statement, Anthony Ogunleye, the FCT minister’s director of press, instructed the affected heads to transfer control of their offices to the most senior officers in rank, with nominations to the positions to be made as soon as possible.
However, according to sources, as of last Wednesday, the fired CEO and MD of Abuja Markets Management Ltd. (AMML) had not transferred control to the company’s most senior employees as instructed by the FCT minister.
One week after being fired from his position, it was stated that the managing director still showed up for work while continuing to ignore the order and attend to official business.
According to reports, the agency’s beleaguered chief has also surrounded himself with private security guards and is actively engaging them. These guards have reportedly continued to bother anyone they believe to be trespassing on the property.
According to what has been learned, Mr. Faruk is relying on a Federal High Court decision that says the FCT minister lacks the authority to either redistribute him or fire him in accordance with the Company and Allied Matters Act.
As far as is known, Mr. Faruk was retained as the CEO of this government-owned corporation despite being redeployed by the immediately preceding FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, three years after his appointment by the then-Minister, Adamu Aliero, 14 years earlier.
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At the end of the Buhari Administration, he had gone to court to contest his redeployment after learning that Bello had approved it. The court issued a ruling declaring that he was still a director of AMML and that his dismissal could not have occurred without following the proper procedures.
Abubakar Faruk was reportedly fired as the managing director of AMML by the company’s shareholders in an Extraordinary General Meeting on July 17, 2023, in response to the ruling.
Once more, Faruk returned with a National Industrial Court injunction barring anyone from firing him.
Recall that this was one of a number of events that put the market management company in a precarious position, sparking demonstrations from employees and traders in several markets and a request to the FCT Permanent Secretary to utilise his position to force the ouster of the MD under fire.
According to insider sources, the company has since split into factions supporting and opposing Abubakar Faruk. “While some of the staff members followed him, the majority were forced to leave the office and are now working from one of the market offices as a result of the Abuja Investment Company Limited (AICL) taking control of the markets that were previously managed by AMML.
The head of department for corporate services at the agency reportedly responded to the question of the troubled MD’s non-vacation of office by saying, “Who told you that our managing director has not handed over. Have you seen him now at the office. Whoever informed you that our MD hadn’t been handed over ought to come and look into it on his own. I’d like to let you know that our managing director is a very law-abiding FCT resident.
However, Innocent Amaechina, the AMML’s public relations officer, claimed he was unaware that the agency’s beleaguered managing director had transferred to someone else as the FCT minister had ordered.
We are aware of the ministerial directive as well as a few upcoming court cases involving the troubled managing director. The general manager of AMML at the moment, Engr. Abbas Yakubu, is the most senior employee, and as of right now, he hasn’t informed us that anyone has transferred to him.
