Tag: Nigerian Ports Authority

President Buhari confirms Bello-Koko as NPA substantive MD

Aminu Imam

…Port workers jubilate sack of Hadiza Bala-Usman…Stakeholders vow to petition EFCC, ICPC on her alleged gross violations of Procurement Act, money laundering President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday confirmed the appointment of Mohammad Bello-Koko as the substantive Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA). According to an issued press statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by the Ministry of Transportation and signed by its Director, Press and Public Relations, Eric Ojiekwe, the appointment takes immediate effect. Prior to his appointment, Koko was the Executive Director, Finance & Administration of NPA”,…

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Panel indicts ex-NPA Boss, Hadiza Bala-Usman

Aminu Imam

…Issues her query Former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman’s troubles have just been compounded as a panel of inquiry appointed, with the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari, to investigate her 5-year tenure at the government agency, has allegedly indicted her and subsequently issued her a query. Recall that embattled Bala-Usman was suspended from office last year following the recommendations of her supervising minister, Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation. It had been reported that the real reason she was suspended from office was allegedly undermining…

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Audit Query: NPA to refund N40.13bn, $921.64m, £289,931.82m to FG

Aminu Imam

The Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation has indicted the Nigeria Ports Authority, (NPA), for failure to recover and remit N40.126 billion, $921.636 million and £289,931.82 to government treasury from various revenue sources in the 2019 financial fiscal year. This was contained in 13 audit queries for the NPA signed by the Auditor-General of the Federation, Adolphus Aghughu, and submitted to the National Assembly for further legislative action. The report disclosed that agreements signed between NPA and various terminal operators stated that: “A fixed annual payment of a sum…

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Senate begins probe into fraudulent contract award of N7.5bn in NPA

Aminu Imam

The Upper Chamber of the National Assembly has begun an investigation into the Nigeria Port Authority, (NPA), over irregularities in the award of the N7.5 billion contract. The contract, according to the Auditor-General of the Federation’s report submitted to the Senate for consideration, was for shore erosion control work at Akipelai, Ayakoro and Otuoke in Bayelsa State. The Senate Committee on Public Account, chaired by Senator Matthew Urhoghide, hinged the planned investigation on the 2017 Auditor-General’s report submitted to the Senate. The contract was as at March 2012 having a…

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70% of Nigerian ports comatose — Port Consultative Council

Aminu Imam

The Port Consultative Council of Nigeria, (PCCN), has said that 70 percent of the nation’s seaports are comatose following the lack of competence exhibited by successive governments over time. Speaking during a presentation of books and other academic materials to the management of the University of Lagos, Chairman of the Council, Otunba Kunle Folarin, said that Nigeria has 17 ports but as of today only six of them are functioning. Folarin also said that the inland nature of some of the 11 non-functioning ports also contributed to their demise adding…

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Nigerian seaport: Crisis brews in industry over delayed submission of NPA probe report

Aminu Imam

Stakeholders in the Ports and Maritime industry have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to compel the administrative panel of inquiry set up by the Federal Government five months ago to probe the activities of the Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA), to submit its report. The stakeholders said the Federal Government was losing a lot of revenue while the industry is in crisis over the uncertainty created by the prolonged probe. The 11-member administrative panel, chaired by the Director of Maritime services, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Suleiman Auwalu, was set up on…

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Pandora Papers: ‘How NPA Ag MD, Bello-Koko, allegedly acquired secret offshore coys, London properties’ — Report

Aminu Imam

The Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko, reportedly owns properties in the United Kingdom which he acquired by secretly running offshore businesses in the British Virgin Islands. This was revealed in a Pandora Papers project, led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, (ICIJ). In the course of the project, leaked documents were retrieved from 14 offshore services firms around the world. Recall that Bello-Koko was appointed as acting MD of NPA following the suspension of Hadiza Bala-Usman reportedly over her disagreement with Rotimi Amaechi,…

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Ports decay alert: Tin-Can, P/Harcourt, Onne, Delta, Calabar Ports collapsing – NPA raises alarm

Aminu Imam

The Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko, has raised the alarm that the Tin-Can Island Port, Onne Port, Delta, and Calabar Ports are currently collapsing and require huge funds to repair them. In a statement issued yesterday by the NPA General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Olaseni Alakija, the Acting MD stated this during the first retreat for the reconstituted Board of Directors of the Authority, which had as its theme: “Expanding the Frontiers of Service Excellence”. Quoting the NPA Acting Managing Director, in the…

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2022 Budget: Reps panel gives NPA 14 days to reconcile N255 bn liability to FG

Aminu Imam

The House of Representatives Committee on Finance has asked the Nigerian Port Authority, (NPA), to reconcile its account with the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, (FRC), which has a liability of N255 billion. The NPA, according to the FRC, failed to submit its audited accounts for 2019 and 2020 and that the available account has a gross liability of N255 billion. At the interactive session on the 2022-2024 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, (MTEF), yesterday, in Abuja, the Committee ruled that the NPA should reconcile its accounts with FRC within two weeks. The NPA,…

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NPA probe: “I have sacked Hadiza Bala Usman” – President Buhari

Aminu Imam

Despite the ongoing investigation of a probe panel against the embattled Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman, President Muhammadu Buhari has confirmed that the appointment of the erstwhile NPA boss has been terminated. President Buhari stated this on July 12, in an affidavit he submitted at the Federal High Court in Lagos, in response to a suit instituted against him by a maritime media Chief Executive, Elder Asu Beks. The affidavit, which was filed as Buhari’s preliminary objection was signed by Agan Tabitha, Civil Litigation Department of…

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