CAN sues FG over CAMA Act

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has sued the Federal Government over the recently gazetted Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, also known as CAMA.

The move, apparently, was to register CAN’s discontent over some provisions of the Act which CAN said it was uncomfortable with.

CAN General Secretary, Joseph Daramola, in a statement, said CAN leadership resolved to approach the court after several attempts to convince the Federal Government not to intervene or interfere with the management of the church, directly or indirectly, failed.

Daramola said the suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/244/2021 between the Incorporated Trustees of CAN and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, was filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

At the mentioned of the case, yesterday, the plaintiff was represented by 18 counsel, led by Joe-Kyari Gadzama while CAN leaders, notably Daramola, Kunle Fagbemi, Philip Gyunka, Tunde Adegbesan, Testimony Onifade; Director, Legal and Public Affairs, Comfort Otera Chigbue, and Jonathan Zwingina, were also present.

CAN, last year, contested some sections of CAMA which empowered the CAC to suspend church trustees and appoint interim managers which could be non-Christian.

It described the Act as poorly drafted and illegal, indicating sloppiness, illogicality and malice.

Many other interested parties also vowed to challenge the CAMA Act 2020 on the grounds that it is reprehensible and illegal for the CAC to be both the prosecutor and the judge.

Under the new CAMA Act, CAC can replace church trustees if they ‘reasonably’ believe there has been mismanagement, misconduct or fraud to protect its property in the public interest.