Confusion over CAC’s deregistration of ‘Enough is Enough’

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) says it has deregistered a company with the business name, “Enough is Enough”.

The company name is very similar to Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE), a civil society organisation which had promoted the #EndSARS protests.

The youth had taken to the streets in October to demonstrate against police brutality and harassment under the #EndSARS campaign, but the protests had been hijacked by hoodlums leading to loss of lives and attacks on government and private properties.

In the days since the protests were suspended across the country, promoters of the #EndSARS campaign have come under the radar of the federal government, with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) freezing the bank accounts of individuals and an organisation said to have supported the demonstrations.

On Tuesday, the CAC announced via its Twitter handle that it has cancelled the registration of the business name “Enough is Enough BN 2210728” with immediate effect.

The commission based its decision on Section 579 (2) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), adding that the affected business, which was registered in 2012 “to engage in General Contracts, Sales of Sport Equipment/Promotion deviated from its main objectives over the cause of time”.

Section 579 (2) of the Act reads: “Where any business name under which the business of a person is carried on‐ (a) contains any word which, in the opinion of the Registrar, is likely to mislead the public as to the nationality, race or religion of the persons by whom the business is wholly or mainly owned or controlled; or (b) is, in the opinion of the Registrar, deceptive or objectionable in that it contains a reference direct or otherwise to any personage, practice or institution, or is otherwise unsuitable as a business name, the Registrar shall refuse to register the business name.

“Or, as the case may be, cancel the registration thereof, but any person aggrieved by a decision of the Registrar under this subsection may, within one month of such refusal or cancellation, appeal to the Commission.”

CAC said the business has been removed from its database, adding that its proprietors are expected to surrender the certificate issued to them.

“Based on the provisions of Section 579 (2) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, (CAMA), the Corporate Affairs Commission has cancelled the registration of the Business name “Enough is Enough BN 2210728” with immediate effect,” the tweet reads.

“The above section provides amongst others that the Commission has the power to cancel the registration of a Business Name where the name is deceptive or objectionable.

“The Business Name “Enough is Enough” which was registered in 2012 to engage in General Contracts, Sales of Sport Equipment/Promotion deviated from its main objectives over the [course] of time.

“Consequently, the Commission has removed it from its database and advised the proprietors to surrender the certificate earlier issued to them.”

The above section provides amongst others that the Commission has the power to cancel the registration of a Business Name where the name is deceptive or objectionable.

— Corporate Affairs Commission (@cacnigeria1) November 10, 2020

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Consequently, the Commission has removed it from its database and advised the proprietors to surrender the certificate earlier issued to them.

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— Corporate Affairs Commission (@cacnigeria1) November 10, 2020

In an attempt to amplify the development, Bashir Ahmad, personal assistant on new media to President Muhammadu Buhari, made a similar announcement on his Twitter account — but his post appears to have now been deleted.

“The CAC Nigeria has cancelled the registration of the Business Name ‘Enough is Enough’ with immediate effect. The EiE which was registered in 2012 to engage in General Contracts, Sales of Sport Equipment deviated from its main objectives over the cause of time, the CAC tweeted,” Ahmad wrote.

Reacting to the development, EiE, which was also registered in 2012, denounced the deregistration, stating that the organisation is registered as “The EiE Project Ltd/Gte”.

“Enough is Enough Nigeria aka EiE Nigeria aka EiE is registered as: “The EiE Project Ltd/Gte”. A big thank you to those who have reached out & spoken up for us! A luta continua! Vitória é certa!” it reads.

Enough is Enough Nigeria aka
EiE Nigeria aka EiE
is registered as:
"The EiE Project Ltd/Gte".
A big thank you to those who have reached out & spoken up for us!
A luta continua! Vitória é certa!#EiEat10#EiEFootprints#OfficeOfTheCitizen#OnePerson #EndSARS #SoroSoke pic.twitter.com/88UV9HyMB6

— EiE Nigeria (@EiENigeria) November 10, 2020

Efforts to reach Garba Abubakar, CAC registrar, proved abortive as he didn’t reply calls put through his line.

However, the CAC posted another series of tweets on Wednesday afternoon, clarifying the details of the affected company.

“Further to cancellation of the Business Name registration “Enough is Enough BN 2210728”, the Corporate Affairs Commission wishes to inform the public that the proprietors of the cancelled Business name are: OPAYEMI ADAMOLEKUN and BISOLA EDUN,” CAC wrote.

Further to cancellation of the Business Name registration “Enough is Enough BN 2210728”, the Corporate Affairs Commission wishes to inform the public that the proprietors of the cancelled Business name are:
OPAYEMI ADAMOLEKUN and BISOLA EDUN.

— Corporate Affairs Commission (@cacnigeria1) November 11, 2020

Meanwhile, ‘Yemi Adamolekun and Bisola Edun are both listed as board members of EiE Nigeria.