Confusion As Boss Of FCT Agency Refuses To Handover Two Weeks After Sacking By Wike

There are conflicting reports on whether the sacked managing director/chief executive of the Abuja Markets Management Ltd (AMML), Mr Abubakar Usman Faruk, has formally handed over his duties to the most senior person of the establishment after being relieved of his position by Federal Capital Territory Minister, Mr Nyesome Wike.

Recall that Wike had two weeks ago relieved heads of 21 agencies and government companies of the Federal Capital Territory Administration of their appointments with immediate effect.

Some of the affected heads/MDs include Abuja Investment Company Ltd, Abuja Markets Management Ltd, Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company, Abuja Property Development Company and CEO/MD Abuja Technology Village Free Trade Zone Company.

They were, in a statement by the director of press in the ministry, Anthony Ogunleye, directed to hand over the affairs of their offices to the most senior officers in their establishments.

A visit to the corporate office of (AMML), located at Adisa Plaza in Gudu district, Garki, last week, revealed that the erstwhile MD of AMML is yet to comply with the directive.

The MD has continued to report for duties, and attend to official matters against the directive, it was gathered. It was further learnt that the sacked MD engaged private security operatives for his safety.

Sources claimed Mr Faruk is relying on a judgment from a Federal High Court to the effect that the FCT minister has no power to redeploy him let alone sack him in line with the Company and Allied Matters Act.

The Head of Department, Corporate Services of the agency, Ibrahim Yahaya-Joe, said the MD had left the establishment.

Quoting him, “Who told you that our managing director has not handed over. Did you see him in the office now. Whoever told you that our MD has not handed over should come and investigate it by himself. Let me inform you that our managing director is a very law-abiding citizen of the FCT.”

But the public relations officer of AMML, Innocent Amaechina, said he is not aware that the embattled managing director of the agency has handed over to anyone, as directed by FCT minister.

According to him, “We are aware of some impending court cases involving the embattled managing director, and we are also aware of the ministerial directive. The most senior person in AMML is the general manager, Engr Abbas Yakubu, and as we speak, he has not told us that anybody has handed over to him.”

THE WHISTLER reports that Faruk was appointed by the then Minister of FCT, Mr Adamu Aliero, and was redeployed by the immediate past FCT minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, three years ago, but has continued to function as the CEO of this government-owned company.

He challenged his redeployment on learning that Bello had approved his sack at the twilight of the Buhari administration and came back with a judgment stating that he remains director of AMML.

The company’s shareholders in an extraordinary General Meeting on July 17 2023, sacked Abubakar Faruk as the managing director of AMML. Faruk was alleged to have got an injunction from the National Industrial Court restraining anyone from sacking him days after he was duly relieved of his job as the MD/CEO.

A source, who does not want to be mentioned, told our reporter that the company has since then been factionalized between those for and those against Abubakar Faruk.

Quoting the source, “Whereas a few of the staff followed him in his ignominy, the rest of the staff had to vacate the office and are now currently operating from one of the market offices following the Abuja Investment Company Limited (AICL)’s takeover of its markets, hitherto under the management of AMML. Abu Faruk has ‘dismissed’ all the staff who had opposed his continued stay as MD of the organization.”

It was also learnt that Faruk’s lawyers had gone to court to file suits in some of his pending cases aimed at making his sack invalid.

Efforts to hear from the embattled MD failed as he did not respond to a text message sent to his glo number.