By PHILIP YATAI

Some traders from Abuja markets on Thursday, besieged the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Headquarters, Abuja, and demanded an end to the leadership crisis that has crippled the Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Alhaji Abubakar Faruk was sacked as the Managing Director (MD) of AMML, following a resolution by shareholders.

The resolution was endorsed on July 17 by Mr Abubakar Maina, the Group Managing Director of the supervisory agency, Abuja Investments Company Ltd.

Thereafter, Mr. Abbas Yakubu was appointed as acting MD.

However, trouble began when Farouk, on July 18, stormed his former office located at Gudu District, Abuja, with security personnel and locked the office, denying the acting MD, Yakubu access.

The spokesman of the protesting traders, Mr. Abubakar Abdullahi, said that the crisis has thrown the traders into a state of confusion, particularly on who to recognise as the substantive MD.

Abdullahi, who is the Secretary General of the FCT Amalgamated Traders Association, said that the traders were currently confronted with conflicting orders coming from the two people, all claiming to be the MD.

“We have seen a letter from Abuja Investments Company Ltd, terminating the contract of Mr Abubakar Faruk as the MD of AMML.

“We have also seen another letter telling us to stop paying money to anybody. Which should we obey?

“AMML is the collector of all revenues in the market for the FCTA, so we want to know who is in charge. We want to know who exactly to pay the service charge and dues to,” he asked.

He called for the resolution of the crisis, stressing that traders and other business operators in Abuja markets do not want to be paying service charges and other levies to the wrong people.

According to him, the FCTA needs to urgently tell the traders who among the two is the authentic MD, to enable the traders to comply with revenue collections in the markets.

Also Speaking, Malam Hassan Ibrahim, Chairman Arewa Traders Association, FCT Chapter, called on Faruk to humbly vacate the office, having served as the MD for 13 years.

Addressing the protesters, Mr. Sunday Olubiyi, Head of Internal Security, FCTA, said that the Administration was aware of the crisis and was doing everything possible to resolve it.

NAN reports that staff of the AMML also staged a protest over the same issue at the FCTA Headquarters on Wednesday.

The workers appealed to the Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Mr Olusade Adesola to expedite action towards resolving the crisis. (NAN)

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