Firm Sues Malami, Osinbajo’s Aides Over Alleged Contract Breach

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has scheduled hearing for November 16, in a suit brought against the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and four aides to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, over an alleged contract breach.

Sued with AGF, in the suit marked: FCT/HC/CV/2242/2018 are Dolapo Bright (Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on the Economic Management Team/Job Creation Desk), Tunde Osibamowo (SSA to the VP on Monitoring and Evaluation), Sanni Mojibola Oluwole (Technical Assistant to Bright) and Damilola Ogunbiyi (SSA to the VP on Power and Infrastructure).

The long adjournment, is intended to enable the defendants file their formal responses.

The suit was filed by a firm, Magna Carta Signatures Limited and its Managing Director, Abdulkadir Mohammed, who claimed to have been engaged in 2017, by Bright as a consultant to study some agricultural projects in some northern states as part of the Federal Government’s job creation initiative for farmers.

Mohammed, in an amended statement of claim, stated that on January 21, 2017, he sent a proposal of his business concept to Bright on his request and to an email address he (Bright) provided – dolapobright@mail.com.

He said Bright later set a meeting with for him, the third to fifth defendants and others at 2pm on February 14, 2017 at the Room 146, Vice President’s wing of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa.

Mohammed said the meeting discussed the problems associated with rice production, processing and distribution and how to address them, to which he made meaningful contributions and preferred solutions.

“Satisfied with the secnd claimant’s (Mohammed’s) competence on the subject matter, the meeting resolved that the claimants should be retained to provide consultancy on issues related to the development of a model agricultural cluster system and job creation for youths in the agro-sector.

“The meeting also resolved that Jigawa State should be used as a pilot for the establishment of a large output automated rice milling plant.

“The second claimant was instructed to undertake a detailed feasibility study and submit a data driven report for establishment of a large output rice mill, with emphasis on youth’s job creation and promoting rice cluster farming system. The second claimant was told to liaise with and report to the second defendant (Bright).

“The second claimant was urged to quickly finish the task and submit the report as Nigeria had signed a pact with the Chinese Government to import small farm-holder equipment and his report was urgently needed to aid the design of an accountability structure for the distribution of equipment to farmer cluster systems.

“They (the defendants) also promised that, in addition to remuneration for his consultancy work, upon submitting the report, the claimants would be introduced to the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture to fund the establishment of the rice processing mill for the first claimant (Magna Carta Signatures) so that the first claimant would easily attract farmers produce for the proposed online business,” the claimants said.

The claimants further claimed that they were engaged for other services, which they successfully executed, but have not been paid despite submitting their bill.

Claiming about N1 billion in damages, the claimants want the court to compel the defendants to pay them for the services they rendered into which they committed all their funds.