n a six (6) letter pages written by concerned members of Abuja Chambers of Commerce and Industry to the Honorable Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dongara captioned “Save our souls appeal by concerned members of the Abuja Chambers of commerce in the face of orchestrated Acts of lawlessness by the executive committee (EXCO) of the chamber against the membership with grave implications for Nigeria’s international image’’ which portrays all illegal withdrawing and utilization of organization funds without due process. This shocking revelation were made known to the members of the press when the team members of concerned group of Abuja Chambers of Commerce and industry lead by Chief Vincent Ighile the chairman and the mr Olayode Kola attended the House committee on public petition in which the matter were adjourned to the next committee seating.
The letter were signed by Chief Vincent Ighile the chairman of the concerned group and seconded by the Mr kola Olayode the secretary to the group. The letter thus read;
‘’ We write to invite the intervention of the federal house of Representatives in a matter that is of urgent national significance, due to the grave implication it has for the nation’s organized private sector, government anti-graft war as well as the threat value it has for eroding the confidence of foreign investors in the Nigerian economy. Given the commitment of the present administration to zero tolerance for corruption in public life, we the undersigned and those we resent will be failing in our civic duty our part even if only as whistles blowers, to facilitate the intervention of the hallowed Chambers of the Federal House of Representatives and thereby stop the outrage.
“Save our souls appeal by concerned members of the Abuja
Chambers of commerce in the face of orchestrated Acts of lawlessness
by the executive committee (EXCO) of the chamber against the membership
with grave implications for Nigeria’s international image’’
‘’Our invitation of the House of Representatives is inspired by the resolve of the Eighth National Assembly to foster a society in which the rule of law reigns and impunity is discouraged. Our concern is also heightened by the fact that the syndrome we are highlighting, deepens in odiousness on a daily basis, as the perpetrators are deploying every measures available to them including blackmail and brazen lawlessness to pursue their goal. The consequence of such is that the ordinary peaceful Abuja Chamber of Commerce and industry has been degraded to a theater of the absurd featuring acts that are in conflict with the law.’’
‘’The Abuja Chamber of Commerce is a member of the Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), and is expected to abide by the rules of that body. It also has members drawn from both public and private sectors of the economy, as well as foreign interests with its location in Abuja, and the enjoys the privilege of a flagship business chambers of the country in the international community. It was established in 1980s to promote the growth of the private sector in the federal capital territory by the government. Government therefore business interest besides trade mission from other countries visit the chamber regularly while the diplomatic community have regular dealings with members. Matters concerning the chamber are easily in the public glare both locally and abroad.’’
‘’By the same token the chamber is expected to be administered by the Executive committee, in line with its registered MEMART under a regime of best fit management practice. However this expectation is met in the breach as the routine actions of the Exco have left much to be desired. Here we the concerned members of the chamber have come to the House of Representatives to save the nation from the sure-fire crisis that is festering in the Chamber, the ugly sector, and the avoidable embarrassment which the untoward situation is attracting for the country on the international scene.’’
‘’The Members of the Executive Committee of ABUCCI are as follows;
Mr Tony Ejinkoye President
Prince Adetokunbo SAN, CON 1st Deputy President
Alhaji Dr Abubakar Al Mujtaba 2nd Deputy President
Barrister Emeka Obegolu Vice President (Legal)
Mr Osi Imomoh Vice President (Finance)
Engr. Taiwo Oluseyi Vice President (Industry)
Barrister Jude Igwe Vice President (public Relation)
Chief Adesoji Adesugba Vice President (ICT)
Mrs Dupe Fisho Vice President (Agric)
Arc. Chidi Okoli Vice President (Mines)
Major General India Garba (rtd) Vice President (Commerce)
Sir. J.I Wenegieme Director General’’
‘’For the purpose of clarification following are some of the areas we are drawing the attetoion of the House of Representatives to;
‘’(I) FORGERY OF MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION (MEMART)
The Executive committee (EXCO) under Mr Tony Ejinkoye as President abandoned the original and only registered (MEMART) and procured two strange and forged versions of the document, in which several clauses were amended with the effect of increasing the powers of the Executive Committee, and reducing those of the council and general membership of the Chamber hereinafter referred to as the Congress. The Exco had specifically tried to register a forged version initially, which exercise ended woefully in futility. When that initiative failed They resorted to the second effort which also failed. As a result the Exco now has three different versions of the MEMART comprising the original registered one and two other forgeries which we may respectively refer to here as MEMART 1,2 and 3. As at August 7th 2015, none of the strange MEMARTs had been registered leaving the original registered MEMART being No. 1 as the only legal instrument that is valid for administering the affairs of ABUCCI. The immediate implication is that whatever action taken by the Exco based on any instrument other than the registered MEMART remains null and void in the eye of the eye of the law. Meanwhile the entire exercise of forging and attempted registration of a new MEMART was deliberate concealed by the Exco from the congress. Yet the Exco exploited the situation to assume and exercise powers which are ordinary unknown to the congress, who by law are the legitimate owners of the Chamber. In congress the opportunity of meeting under any circumstance, while muzzling any form of contending positions in the affairs of the Chamber’’
‘’(ii)UNATHORISED SPENDING OF ABUCCI FUNDS’: Based on the forgery of the MEMART the Exco adopted a complement of tactics including unauthorized spending approval limits and financial procedures with which they disbursed the funds of the Chamber for purposes that caught their fancy but remained unknown and unapproved by the council and congress. A typical example is the increase in the approval limit of the president from N50,000.00 to N1,000,000.00 without the knowledge of the congress as provided for in the original MEMART of the Chamber. Another instance of change is the new procedure whereby the Exco recommends funds for itself, approves same and disburses without any form of check and balance as is provided for in the original MEMART. With such new found powers over the purse of the original with questionable significance to the Chamber as well as being unknown to the congress in respect of these, they awarded inflated contracts to theirs agents and paid out huge sums as up front mobilization fees for same. Following is a list of some of such instances:’’
‘’(a) Unauthorized payment of an arbitrarily settled sum of N23million for land at sabon lugbe without perfecting the title and under the bogus claim that it was for staff quarters. Meanwhile it was without the knowledge and approval of Congress.’’
‘’(b) Arbitrary award of a contract of N130 millions with the rushed payment of N38 million to fronts representing members of the Exco.’’
‘’(c) Award of contract of N20 million for the fencing of the chamber land extension guided only by rule of thumb, without deploying mandatory professional expedient even as the chamber has in abundance core professionals who should have provided better advisory services even free of charge.’’
‘’(d) Purchase of new cars even when the Chamber has a fleet of under-utilized vehicles.’’
‘’(e) Unauthorized appointment of consultant for purported layout of Chamber precincts at a sum of N25 millions of which N15 million has already been paid out ahead of the jobs taking off. This is even as the Chamber has an abundance of relevant professionals who could have done the job pro bono.’’
‘’(f) Unauthorized appointment of consultants to interview two new Directors at a cost N5 million regard to the organizational manning requirement and knowledge of the congress.’’
‘’(g) Award of contract for erection of bill board at an inflated rate of N8.7 million when such could have rented at lower fee, and without the knowledge of the congress.’’
‘’(h) Unauthorized withdrawal of millions of naira of chamber funds by members of the Exco in the name of training tours and programmes to different parts of the world for its members which turned out to be vacation trips and shopping sprees for them and members of their families.’’
Iii ‘’ CONCERNED OF ACTIONS FROM THE CONGRESS: At the risk of sounding repetitive it needs to be emphasized
That all of these development took place without regard for due process and notification of the Congress of the
Chamber.’’
Iv ‘’ SACKING OF THE DIRECTOR GENERAL: In the course of these untoward development, the Exco unlawfully fired
The Director General(DG) Mr J I Wenegieme, a man of proven integrity and forthrightness, who remains the
Soul of the Chamber for his principled stand against what he saw as a brazen rape of the fortunes of the
Chamber. Along with the DG was harassed some other staff.’’
- ‘’ SUSPECT FUND RAISING FROM UNDISCLOSED FINANCIERS: In their resolve to exploit for personal gains the business prospects and opportunities associated with the Chamber, the Exco has been deploying various means including the internet to canvass for funds from local and international financiers in respect of phantom projects which do not enjoy the knowledge nor endorsement of the congress of the Chamber. There are strong indications that have been receiving positive responses with the likelihood of collecting undisclosed sums of money without accounting for same.’’
- ‘’EMASCULATION OF THE CONGRESS: In the light of these inanities the congress made spirited efforts to meet and get to the root of the issues. However the Exco has so frustrated every effort by the congress including a lockout of same from the ABUCCI premises thereby denying the congress from exercising their constitutional right to meet over the fortunes of the Chamber.’’
PRAYERS
In the light of the foregoing our prayers are as follows:
1’’ Cause the Exco to explain if, how and why they tried to amend the Chamber’s MEMART without due process and even with failure at two attempts in forgery went ahead to operate one of the forgeries, disbursing the funds of the chamber, along with other actions:’’
2 ‘’ Cause the Exco to facilitates it meeting of the Congress at whose discretion they are holding office and in the spirit of democratic government as is enshrined in the MEMART of the Chamber.
3 ‘’ Cause the Exco to revert back to the original and only registered MEMART of the Chamber as provided for by law.’’
Signed
Chief Vincent Ighile Chairman
Mr Kola Olayode Secretary
— Okorochukwu Ikechukwu ( Correspondent)
