President Muhammadu Buhari has suspended Hadiza Bala Usman as Managing Director/CEO of Nigeria Ports Authority, (NPA), with Mohammed Koko taking over in an Acting capacity.
According to a press statement issued yesterday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Garba Shehu, President Buhari has approved the recommendation of the Ministry of Transportation under its minister, Rotimi Amaechi, after the setting up of an Administrative Panel of Inquiry to investigate the Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA).
The President approved that the Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman, step aside while the investigation is carried out. The statement said Mohammed Koko will act in that position.
The panel is to be headed by the Director, Maritime Services of the Ministry while the Deputy Director, Legal of the same ministry will serve as Secretary.
Other members of the panel will be appointed by the Minister.
Her suspension came barely four months after the President renewed her tenure for another 5-year term.
Recall that Ms. Usman was appointed as NPA chief in 2016 and has repeatedly propagated her reform policies that sought to redirect the organisation, which is one of the top revenue-generating entities of the Federal Government.
Usman was first appointed as the Managing Director of the NPA in 2016.
Here are the many sins of Hadiza Bala Usman as compiled by Shipping World magazine
By Asu Beks
Here are the many sins of Hadiza Bala Usman, who was at the saddle at Nigerian Ports Authority for the past 5 years, as compiled by Shipping World magazine:
Alleged Corrupt Practices
* Cancelling running stevedoring contracts and awarding same and Cargo Surveys Contracts to self and acolytes for 10 years
* Corporate Social Responsibility, (CSR), projects that are supposed to serve as palliatives for communities impacted by port operations, she turned it into a jamboree and an avenue for the indiscriminate award of inflated contracts at all locations
* The palliatives intended to assist Internally-Displaced Persons, (IDPs), was turned into an avenue for contract awards at exorbitant cost.
* PBT approved the purchase of Toyota Coaster staff buses, but Chinese-made buses were supplied instead; Ditto for ambulances.
* Most contracts in NPA allegedly being awarded to her brother (name withheld) through many phony companies and other fronts
* Generally, over-invoicing and inflation of contracts and non-compliance with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act and extant regulations on pricing
* There was a contract that was recently awarded for the supply of 200 torchlights for N8m.
MALADMINISTRATION
* Serving Corps members were employed in NPA, which is against the law and service rules
* Fresh graduates were employed and promoted to one or two grade levels within two years, in contravention of NPA Conditions of Service and other Civil Service rules
* Misleading the Board into approving promotions for select officers over their seniors through improper placement and promotion, in contravention of Federal Government circular referenced: FC.6243/S.1/Vol.XV111/5 of 28th May, 2010 and the Presidential Directive conveyed vide letter referenced: PRES/30-1, dated 20th September, 2004.
As clarified and reiterated by circular referenced: FCSC/CHMN/CL/17/Vol.1/36 of 22nd October, 2013 which conveys the applicable policy as of today
* Misleading the Board to approve the retention of officers who retired on contract without the fulfillment of the prerequisites for that kind of appointment under the conditions of service and extant Service rules.
HIGH-HANDEDNESS
* Auditors have been transferred for simply questioning and querying supplies being made by contractors, particularly with regards to quantity, quality and conformity with the approved standards by the PTB
