The drumbeat of War Among Germaine Auto Centre Owners

The drumbeat of War Among Germaine Auto Centre Owners

When Germaine Auto Centre Company and Admiralty Motors Limited were set up some years ago by the family of Anthony and Maryann Chukwueke, it was intended to be the market leader. But little did it occur to any of them that a time would come when the plan would be greatly upset by their actions and inactions.

Today, the same company that they had reportedly set up together has torn them apart and they are no longer seeing eye-to-eye.

Society Watch gathered that the two siblings are currently fighting for the soul of the leading auto firm. A source revealed that Maryann has dragged her brother, Anthony, who is the Chairman Board of Directors, before a Federal High Court in Lagos, claiming that the latter muscled her out of the company she co-founded and contributed to its development.

She is claiming that Anthony, who was working in the Department of Petroleum Resources when the company was set up, used his status and accumulated wealth to muscle her and some other siblings out from the management of the company.

According to her, after she was edged out she set up her own company, Admiralty Motors Limited, sometime in 2002.

She further claimed that Anthony later approached her to assist with the management of Germaine Auto Centre sometime in 2019, a request she grudgingly obliged upon pleas by family members.
She also alleged that sometime in April 2021, she noticed that Anthony was representing her company, Admiralty Motors Ltd’s assets as his own and that he had even gone forward to evaluate her company in the name of Germaine Auto Centre Limited.

Within the same period, she claimed, Anthony had caused a solar panel to be installed on her company’s property located at Shapata, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos, without informing her or seeking her consent.

She said the activities of Germaine Auto Company, vide the instrumentality of Anthony, caused her to believe that the company, Anthony and Martha Etemu are making efforts to unlawfully claim her company and its assets. As a result, she locked up the premises to prevent trespass on the property. In her claim, Anthony mobilised thugs to forcefully invade the Admiralty Motor premises. But when they were resisted, they sought the assistance of the Nigeria Police, Elemoro, where criminal allegations were made against her.

She said when she later honoured the invitation by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO on September 23, 2021, she was let off the hook, as there was no evidence to substantiate their allegations against her.

“I have been receiving several threats and disturbing phone calls from my brother and the company’s Human Resources and Administration officer, Martha Etemu and their agents. I received a letter of suspension from the company on September 26, 2021, from Anthony,” she added.
Consequently, she is claiming the sum of N80m as exemplary and aggravated damages jointly and severally against her brother.

She is also praying the court to restrain her brother and his agents from interfering with the property belonging to her.

However, in a counter-affidavit sworn to by Etemu, on behalf of the company, Anthony pooh-poohed almost all the claims of Maryann, saying, “She does not hold shares in Germaine Auto Centre in her personal capacity, but only does collectively and jointly by virtue of her membership of the Nwawuba-Chukwueke family.

“The said Nwawuba-Chukwueke family is a major shareholder in the company and allocation of shares has been put off until Germaine Auto Centre satisfies its indebtedness in full and reverts in entirety to the Nwawuba-Chukwueke.”

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