There may not be an end in sight regarding the faceoff between the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) over revenue collection.
The faceoff took another dimension on Friday, following the call by AMAC technical partner for probe and arrest of the director FCT Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS), Dr Babagana Adam.
While briefing journalists in Abuja, the Executive Director, Takushara Nigeria Limited and ADM Media Limited Joint Venture, Mr Donald Amagbo, appealed to the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the police to arrest and investigate Adam for frustrating revenue generation in AMAC.
Amagbo said Adam had few days ago in the media, tagged him ‘ revenue impostor’, which he described as defamation aimed at smearing him and thwarting professional way of generating revenue, whereas Takushara was engaged on 17th November, 2022, as a technical partner, to aid collection of revenue from signage in AMAC.
He described as false and blackmail for Babagana Adam to deceive the public by saying that he (Amagbo) was arrested with his team and taken to the police.
Amagbo said: “Babagana Adam is interested in smearing me and my company. I have never been arrested or invited for questioning by security agents or any organisation, so it’s very strange for me to hear and read in media that I was arrested and released after pleading.
“When and where did security agents arrest me? I have all the necessary documents that AMAC engaged me as its only approved technical partner. So, all the reports about me by DOAS are meant to malign me. They are false. I urge security agencies to wade into this matter.
“The self-acclaimed director of DOAS is the sole signatory to the account, which is even an ill act. DOAS has no law establishing it. Adam is running a one man show. EFCC, DSS, Police and ICPC should checkmate the DOAS director’s fraudulent activities in the name of revenue. There are more facts we have about him. We will release them when the time comes.”
Recall that the Director FCT DOAS, Babagana Adam, had few days ago raised concerns that ‘fake revenue’ agents were on the prowl, forcing business owners and residents to pay unapproved taxes.
Therefore, Amagbo challenged the FCT – DOAS director to present full proof that made him (Adam), qualify to be in-charge of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage collection in the city, touting in the name of DOAS.
He explained that the Adam-led DOAS has no law establishing it, but that the director was discrediting AMAC and defaming professionals empowered by the council’s authorities to regulate and raise revenue through legitimate means.
Amagbo called on the director of DOAS to tender apology within 48 hours for defaming him and the characters of the trained experts legally engaged by AMAC to regulate and generate revenue through outdoor advert-sign post, based on the council’s powers derived from Section 7 and fourth schedule (functions of the Local Government Areas) of the Nigerian constitution (1999 constitution as amended).
Amagbo, therefore, urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, to stop Babagana Adam from portraying the image of the administration in a bad light.
Also speaking, the company legal adviser, Barrister Faith Inelo, said that the legal team, headed by Saad Umar, was ready to sue Adam for defamation of character and falsehood against Amagbo and others.
She said: “We give the vet. Dr Babagana Adam 48 hours to apologise to AMAC; Takushara Nigeria Limited Limited, and comrade Donald Amagbo for the false information against their images.
“We have prepared our legal team to question the sources of Vet Doctor Babagana Adam’s powers and hate speech, and sue the Director for defamation of character and false report against our professional staff particularly Comrade Donald Amagbo.
“We expect the Hon. Minister whom we know to be a law abiding citizen to henceforth scrap this illegal DOAS in compliance to the court judgement as a department in FCTA. We recommend for the Minister to transfer back this vet Dr. Babagana to FCT ranch in the vet unit of FCTA Agric Dept.”
She also expressed confidence that the National Assembly (NASS) could neither go against the constitution they made nor start constitutional amendment just to satisfy Adam’s personal ambition, “hence his request to NASS is also in falsehood and baseless”.
