By Chinyere Anyanwu
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has warned farmers and the general public to beware of the illegally constituted Caretaker Committee of the association led by Faruk Rabi’u Mudi. A recent statement signed by the AFAN National President, Kabir Ibrahim, said the association’s constitution has no provision for a Caretaker Committee, thereby warranting him and other elected officials of the body to continue with their programmes.
According to the statement, “we received summons for a suit filed against us by the Caretaker Committee in the Federal High Court 09, Abuja. Due to COVID-19, the court did not sit until February 1, 2021.
“When the court sat on that day, the judge admonished the counsel of the plaintiffs to inform his clients to stop parading themselves as the leaders of AFAN pending the determination of the suit.”
It further stated that, “the matter was then adjourned to March 15, 2021 for hearing. The court convened on that day only to be informed of the desire of the counsel of the plaintiffs to amend their suit. The Judge awarded costs of N25,000 against the plaintiffs’ counsel and told him to file the amendment before May 4, 2021 when the matter will come up for definite hearing.”
The statement noted that Mr. Justice Taiwo Taiwo, the judge in charge of the case, “cautioned Faruk Rabi’u Mudi (the Caretaker Committee chairman) to stop parading himself as the president of AFAN until a ruling has been given on his suit against Kabir Ibrahim and his elected executives.” The statement, therefore, stressed that Ibrahim and his elected executives remain on the saddle of AFAN pending the determination of the suit filed by Faruk Rabi’u Mudi & Co.