February 27, (THEWILL) – The battle for the soul of Germaine Auto Centre has forced two siblings, Maryanne Chukwueke and Anthony Chukwueke, a former director in the Department of Petroleum resources and former manager with Shell Petroleum Development Company, now Chairman Board of Directors of Germaine Auto Centre Company, to institute legal actions against each other Originally set up by Chief Jerry Chukwueke, an inlaw to Nigerian rapper, Naetochukwu Chikwe, aka Naeto C, the battle for the ownership of the motor company, a family business, is threatening to engulf the Nwawuba-Chukwueke family. In a bid to safeguard her fundamental right, Maryanne instituted a case against her brother at the Federal High Court in Lagos. Joined as co-respondents are Germaine Auto Centre Limited, the company secretary of the company, Martha Etemu, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Deputy Commissioner of Police state criminal investigation Department, Yaba, Lagos and Assistant Commissioner of Police Oketunji Lawrence Bola,
According to an affidavit sworn to by Maryanne, she claimed to be a founding member of Germaine Auto Centre Company and has over the years contributed to the development of the company. She also claimed that Anthony used his status and accumulated wealth to muscle her and some of their other siblings out of the management of the company. This forced her to set up her own company, Admiralty Motors Limited in 2002. But in 2019 Anthony, seeing her exploits and how she had successfully managed her own company, approached her to come assist with the management of Germaine Auto Centre, which she agreed to after much pleas from him and other members of the family. She worked as Executive director/vice president of sales and in turn, according to her, made it a viable business enterprise by expanding its operations. However, in April 2021 she noticed that Anthony began to present the assets of her company, Admiralty Motors Ltd, as his own and even went further to do an evaluation of her company in the name of Germaine Auto Centre Limited. This caused her to believe that both Anthony and Martha were making efforts to unlawfully claim her company and its assets, prompting her to lock up the premises so as to prevent trespassing on the property.
She alleged that Anthony mobilised hoodlums to forcefully invade the premises of her company, but when they were unable to gain entrance to the premises, they sought the assistance of the Nigerian Police, Elemoro, where criminal allegations were made against her. Since there was no evidence to substantiate their allegations against her, the DPO let her go. Rather than get respite, she claims to have been receiving threatening messages and disturbing phone calls from Anthony, Martha Etemu and their agents, including some police officers. In September 2021, Anthony suspended Maryanne indefinitely from her job at Germaine Auto Centre. Now she is asking for N80 million in aggravated damages while urging the court to restrain the police and its officers from inviting, arresting, detaining, or harassing her over a purely civil or commercial transaction between her, Anthony and Martha. She also urged the court to restrain both Anthony and Martha from interfering with the property belonging to her while also asking for 5 million naira as the cost of this legal action.
Expectedly, both Anthony and Martha denied the allegations in a counter-affidavit, insisting that Maryanne holds no shares in Germaine Auto Centre in her personal capacity, but only does so collectively and jointly by virtue of her membership of the Nwawuba-Chukwueke family, a major shareholder in the company. Also that allocation of shares has been put off until Germaine Auto Centre satisfies its indebtedness in full and reverts in entirety to the Nwawuba-Chukwueke. According to Anthony and Martha, Admiralty Motors Ltd is not solely owned by Maryanne but by members of the Nwawuba-Chukwueke family collectively and jointly, adding that after Maryanne’s exit from Germaine Auto Centre in 2002, the family incorporated Admiralty Motors Ltd with the aim of providing alternative employment for its members who could not remain in the Germaine Auto Centre for one reason or the other. The said incorporation was backed and funded by Anthony. They added that Maryanne only assumed the position of director and that in no way made her the sole owner of Admiralty Motors Ltd.
The case which received an order for status quo to be maintained, pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion filed by Maryanne, was initially adjourned till February 22, 2022Â Â but up until going to press, the case is yet to be deliberated on.
Ivory Ukonu is a versatile journalist with many years of experience, with entertainment and society reporting as her area of core competence.
