Drama In Wike-led FCT Agency As Sacked MD Refuses To Handover After Two Weeks

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

Recall that Wike through the director of press in the ministry, Anthony Ogunleye had two weeks ago relieved heads of 21 agencies and government companies of the Federal Capital Territory Administration of their appointments with immediate effect.

Amongst which was heads/MDs of  Abuja Markets Management Ltd.

However, Whistler reports that the erstwhile MD of AMML is yet to comply with the directive after it visited the corporate office located at Adisa Plaza in Gudu district, Garki.

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

Sources claimed 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.

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

Quoting Ibrahim, “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 the 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.”

Faruk was appointed by the then Minister of FCT, 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, said 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.”