The attempt by Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of
Nigeria AMBCAN to elect new national officers ended in fiasco at the River
Plate Park, Abuja, on Wednesday, as two groups emerged from the outcome. The
fiasco started after the conduct of the presidential post where Alhaji Mansur
Umah polled 96 votes against Alhaji Zubairu Muhammed who got 86 votes. The
polling agent of Alhaji Mohammed identified over twenty-six persons who were
not properly accredited and called for fresh re-accreditation of delegates
which was overruled by the electoral body. The attempt to ignore the fake
delegates allegedly imported by a flour mill known as Mama Gold, led to the
boycott of the rest of the election.
The protesting group stalled the process for over four
hours, demanding fresh accreditation of delegates, before they staged a walked
out of the venue of the elections citing glaring irregularities, and abandoning
the rest of the exercise.
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In a petition sent to the office of the President, Vice
President, Minister of Agriculture and Director State Security Services, FCT
the dissenting group claimed that “ the
association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria do hereby rejects the
fraudulent election held on the 7th of October at River Plate Park, Abuja because the process was hijacked by
fraudulent actors bent on hiding their monumental embezzlement of Federal
Government incentives to Master Bakers aimed at making the price of bread unaffordable’’
“The Stakeholders of Master Bakers of Nigeria do hereby
calls upon President Muhammadu Buhari to institute a proper investigation of
the embezzlement of the past seven years, and diversion of incentives,
stimulus, subsidies aimed at making the price of bred affordable to Nigeria.
“The Stakeholders of Master Bakers of Nigeria asks the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC to help recover all the stolen
incentives with the flour mills, Bank of Industry and other agencies which
these executives deceived and diverted packages from”
The group alleged that proper accreditation of delegates was
not conducted and that the owners of Mama Gold Flour Mill brought strange
persons in four buses and gave them bribes ranging from N70,000-N30,000 to vote
for their preferred candidate. A contestant told delegates at the venue that he
was offered bribe of N10 million naira to step down for a preferred candidate.
Alhaji Zubairu Abubakar while calling for the cancellation
of the elections promised to “consult his lawyers before further comments
because he is too shocked to see such levels of criminality with supposedly
civilized people”.
Prince Jacob Adejonrin while addressing the delegates at the
venue of the botched election said that “there is no way this charade can
continue. A situation whereby attempts to institute accountable leadership in
the affairs of AMBCON is resisted with fraudulent elections can no more be
tolerated. This is not a personal fight,
rather a battle to make the price of bread affordable to all Nigerians”
Mr Sunday Akam while addressing the delegates said that
‘’ we came here for the accreditation
yesterday as agreed only to discover that Mama Gold Flour Mills had imported
people into the venue, with four coaster buses ,against the agreements that no
flour mill will sponsor any candidate. We also agreed on open –secret ballot
due to the Federal Government Guidelines on Covid-19, and proper accreditations
but to our surprise, those who are not bakers flooded the venue and were
accredited. There is no way we can continue with the process”
The enraged delegates stalled the process for over four
hours before walking out and relocating to Royalton Hotels, Area2 Abuja, where
they elected interim management. The new officers to act as interim executives
including Alhaji Zubairu Abubakar (Interim National President), Prince Jacob
Adejonrin( Interim Vice President), Mr Sunday Akam ( Interim National
Secretary), Chief Chukwuma Anthony Eze (Interim National Financial Secetary),
Mr David Olusegun (InterimNational Treasurer)
After the election of Interim Executives at Royalton Hotels,
the new Interim National Secretary, Mr Sunday Akam called upon “the Federal
Government to conduct a fresh election devoid of fraud, manipulations, irregularities
and vote buying so that reforms that will make the price of baked product
affordable will be initiated. The state of affairs in the organization is
making the price of flour soar from N900 in March to N18,000 in September, and
it is not acceptable”
The Director General of Igbo Mandate Congress, IMC, Rev
Obinna Akukwe had blamed the leadership crisis of the bakers association for
the rising cost of flour, bread and bakery products. He condemned a situation
whereby the price of a bag of flour rose astronomically from N9,000 in March to
N18,000 in October because criminals running the bakers association at the
national level lack the tact to engage government and the flour mills for
proper intervention.
While receiving some delegates from the South East and South
South who paid him a courtesy call, Rev Akukwe asked for “proper election into
the body and urgent intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice
President Osinbajo’s Economic Stimulus Group to urgently address the crisis of
Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria before an ‘Anti-Bread Hike
Protest’ erupts nationwide compounding the already simmering EndSars Protest”
The Secretary of the Electoral Committee,Comrade Ede Egbuji,
and two members of the electoral committee, Alhaji Suleiman Mohammed and Alhaji
Gidado discredited the process and
refused to sign the election s register. They called for fresh polls, and have
made their reports to the appropriate bodies.
(Photo Insert: Mr Sunday Akam, Interim National Secretary,
Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria addressing BOT members at
the venue)
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