..Reveals those involve in diversion; Say’s award letters issued, monies removed from NPA account
The Managing Director Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) Dr. ÆŠantsoho Abubakar, has come under scrutiny for his failure to upheld to agreement reached between the trio of the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a Contractor and Port Authority over alleged diversion of NPA’s ₦57 billion contract.
Dr. ÆŠantsoho allegedly consented to honor EFCC agreement to deliver over ₦25 billion parts of the ₦57 billion contract to the contractor in 2025, but failed to fulfill the requirement till date, after the contractor has spent so much on Bill of Quantity and Costing based on NPA engineers’ request.
A statement by the contractor Mr. Emmanuel Otokpa, on weekend asserted that the ₦57 billion was awarded to him through office of the immediate past Attorney-General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) in 2022.
The Contractor further stated that himself and his teams of lawyers had earlier stormed EFCC office Abuja, in 2024, with petition against the alleged diversion of the ₦57 billion contract by the former Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami and NPA Ex. MD, Mohammed Bello Koko.
The statement, signed and made available to newsmen by the aggrieved contractor, alleged that NPA awarded the contract to Otokpa’s companies via Abubakar Malami’s office in 2022, to developed College of Education Arugugu Kebbi State, Kaduna State University, amongst others, across country, but the money was siphoned.
Mr. Otokpa expressed dismay that even though the contract award letters were issued under the former MD NPA, Mohammed Bello Koko, and the contract sum was reportedly removed from NPA bank account shortly before the change of government in 2023, his companies were not given any mobilization, and contract are left unexecuted hitherto.
While he condemned what he described as fraudulent diversion and siphoning of the monies, the contractor strongly appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to go after those involved and bring the perpetrators to book, and make ensure the contracts are re-award and executed in designated schools for the future benefits of Nigeria Youths.
His words: “I want to let Mr. President know that the MD of NPA Dr. ÆŠantsoho Abubakar promised to release the award letter since last year 2024, but up till now he has not fulfill his promise as agreed from EFCC Headquarters with my teams of lawyers.
“This is to let EFCC Chairman also know that after the intervention of the commission through the office of Special Duty, Dr. David Ekpe, for settlement, up till now Dr. ÆŠantsoho Abubakar has not re-award the contracts back to our companies, for the execution as promised in 2024 through the PA to Malami, Hon. Yakubu Hamza.
“I am appealing to Mr. President, to as a matter of urgency, to intervene in this matter of fraud case of corruption by Abubakar Malami and the former Managing Director of Nigeria Port Authority, in person of Muhammed Bello Koko and the SA to Abubakar Malami”, he stated.
Angered by the ugly development, the contractor demanded to know whether laws are working in his country Nigeria again, adding:
“I want to know whether the Nigeria Constitution is only for the poor”.
According to the contractor “Why I am asking question is that, I have seen where former General Hakeem Otiki, GOC Sokoto Commander, NSA Dasuki to former President Jonathan, and Olisametu, former adviser to former President Jonathan, were detained in prison for three years because of ₦400 million for arms diversion”.
He further stated that “While our own contract, worth about ₦57 billion was diverted by Abubakar Malami, the Senior Special Adviser to Abubakar Malami and the MD of Nigerian Port Authority, Koko who diverted this money from NPA account were left untouched since 2023, despite the series of petition to Mr. President, IG of Police, DSS, Secretary to Federal Government, as well as EFCC who are the Heads of Anti-corruption upon series of petitions, the present administration refused to act on it”.
“The money diverted is meant for the development of schools, College of Educations, Arugugu Kebbi State, Kaduna State University and others in the country respectively.
“This contract started in July 2022, then, after diverted the money from NPA account which is meant for our companies mobilization, after series of petition to the Presidency and EFCC, the present MD, in person of Dr. ÆŠantsoho Abubakar, begged me through the PA to Abubakar Malami, Hon. Hamza Yakubu, to accept ₦25 billion first, and by this year 2025, the rest of the contract will be given to the rest of my companies.
“But again, up till now the MD ÆŠantsoho refused to re-award the contract back to my companies till date, even after writing my personal letter of appeal to him on this 2025, but he showed no concern till this moment”, he lamented.
This, he noted “shows clearly that ÆŠantsoho is fully in support of what his boss, the ex-MD Koko did. “In 2024, I was asked again to bring money for Bill of Quantities and Costing by the NPA Engineers, which I have paid and they promised to release the award letter since last year, but till now nothing.
“I am also appealing to Mr. President, EFCC Chairman, Human right of Nigeria, civil society, and well meaning Nigerians to come out and ask the presidency and the EFCC why this contract hasn’t been re-awarded for the development of this country. Whether Abubakar Malami and Muhammed Bello Koko and his SA is above the law in this country”, he stated.
He continue that “Last year, the Engineers from NPA asked me to bring money for Bill of Quantities and Costing, which we have paid the Engineers in NPA since that last year for the purpose of the re-award of that contract.
“Up till now the MD of NPA in person of Dr. ÆŠantsoho Abubakar turned his back on the contract, and it was his boss that diverted this contract when he was a principal staff officer in that NPA in 2022, when we were following-up the contract.
“Therefore, whatsoever, he cannot say he doesn’t know anything about the contract. If it were in a country where things work, he would have left the office a long time ago, because he was the principal staff officer when this contract scandal took place in 2022.
“In 2024 the same former MD was sacked by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; why did the Government refuse to probe them, we don’t know. The Senior Special Assistant to Abubakar, Malami, Nafiu Yakubu Lugga told me that they moved the money from NPA account to one account in order to mobilize my companies.
“Up till now, my companies have neither been mobilized nor given the original award letters.
Let the Presidency, EFCC and Human Rights group know that the original award letter and the money for the contract are still with Abubakar Malami, Muhammed Bello Koko and the SA to Abubakar Malami, in person of Nafiu Yakubu Lugga – up till date the contract has not been executed.
“They can go and carryout their investigation about the contracts.
This is to let well-meaning Nigerians know that the copies of the awarded letters are still with me as an evidence against Abubakar Malami and the NPA former MD Muhammed Bello Koko, and also to let Nigerians know there is a correspondent letters between NPA and Office of the Attorney-General that are still with me against them’, he added.
The contractor further revealed that “After former President Muhammadu Buhari made a public announcement on 1st of March 2023 before leaving office, no agency should move any money from any account again till the incoming new government.
“When I saw it on television, I called the SA to Abubakar Malami in person of Nafiu Yakubu Lugga, and he told me that they have moved the money from NPA account to another account in other to mobilize my companies to go to site. But up till now we did not see any money for mobilization till date.
“After I and my lawyers team were invited to EFCC headquarters, the head of special duty headed by Dr. David Ekpe and one other staff represented by the Chairman of EFCC told me and my lawyers team that the Chairman said they should settle the matter after checking and confirmed Abubakar Malami’s signature.
“And as a result of that, the EFCC called some of my companies directors for the settlement, and we all agreed and later after three days the PA to Abubakar Malami, Hon. Yakubu Hamza called me that the PA to the Managing Director Nigerian Port Authority called him that the PA to Dr. ÆŠantsoho Abubakar called him to come and collect the award letter.
“This made the engineers from Nigerian Port Authority ask me to bring money for the Bill of Quantities and costing through Hon. Yakubu Hamza. On that note, the MD told Hon. Yakubu Hamza to plead with me that they are giving me ₦25 billion first, then by this year 2025, they’ll give me the rest of the remaining contract.
“And we all agreed; from there the engineers, through the PA, asked me to send money for Bill of Quantities, which I did; and after costing of valuation by the engineers they told me that the contract is about twenty nine billion plus, and that up till date they have not re-award the contract back to our companies”, he narrated.
The contractor therefore appealed to the President Tinubu, the EFCC Chairman, Human rights civil society and well-meaning Nigerians to come to their aid in order for this contract to be re-awarded for the benefit of Nigerians, because this contract is meant for development of this country.
“Abubakar Malami former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and his SA Nafiu Yakubu Lugga and the former Managing Director of Nigerian Port Authority diverted this ₦57 billion contract given to our companies to their private use in the name of our companies.
“The consequence of this act done by Abubakar Malami is that, in the next 10 years or 20 years the matter might come out against me, because I use people’s companies for this contract; and if this matter is not treated as a matter of urgency there will be a problem in future.
“When former President Muhammadu Buhari was presenting 2022 Budget in the National Assembly for all the agencies to defend their budget, the PA to the GM on Procurement, Salisu asked us to wait in Lagos.
“He say we should wait because the MD and the GM and other Engineers, with the Directors, have gone to Abuja for defence of their budget with Mr. President Muhammadu Buhari in the National Assembly; that until they came back to Lagos before they will give us the Award Letters.
“But unfortunately, when they came back they said they cannot release the award letters until the funds are available, as the rule of the agency, that they’ve approved the contract to be done in 2022 Budget and was waiting for Minister to release, and they asked us to come back to Abuja.
“When we came back that November, in December, the NPA brought a letter of sharing formula in those my companies’ names, which the PA to Abubakar Malami called me to Attorney-General office to come and collect, and I went with my brother and I collected the letter.
“And by that February 27, 2023, the real Award Letter came out, which the PA also called me and asked me to pay for his flight ticket for him to go to Lagos and bring the Award Letters from NPA in Lagos, which I did, and he went and collected the Award Letters.
“And when he came back with the Award Letters, he gave me some photocopies and asked me to wait until the Minister Abubakar Malami and his S.A Nafiu Yakubu Lugga handover the original Award Letters officially to me.
“But up till now, the original Award Letters is with Abubakar Malami and his S.A Nafiu Yakubu Lugga, with the former M.D Muhammed Bello Koko sacked by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last year.
‘And up till now, with my series of petitions the present administration has never taken any action about this people seriously, against those who siphoned the money from NPA account which was meant for development for the citizens of this country”, he concluded.
