Recently suspended Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, has refuted claims that she awarded a contract to Aliko Dangote owned company.
Hadiza allegedly removed Integrated Logistics Services Nigeria Limited (Intels) from operating some coastline terminals at the Onne ports in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
She allegedly gave the job to International Container Terminal Services (ICTS) Nigeria limited linked to Dangote.
In a statement, Hadiza who denied having ties with Dangote, explained she has no powers to unilaterally award contracts, adding that such must be approved by the NPA management team.
She said a media report lumped the expired service boat contract between the NPA and Intels, which commenced in 2007 with a review of a ten-year extension in 2011 that expired in August 2020.
After expiration, the NPA initiated a procurement process in which Intels participated in line with all extant laws.
On Onne berths 9, 10 and 11, allegedly taken from Intels, she confirmed the berths were offered to Intels in 2013 without contractual agreement but a letter that required that the company pay rent.
In 2018, the NPA discovered that Intels allegedly failed to make expected payments for five years nor put the berths to optimal use.
She said due to the under-utilization of the facility, the non-contractual agreement with Intels and the need to decongest the ports in Lagos, the NPA offered the berths ICTNL for container cargo discharging.
“ICTNL has signed a contract for the lease of the berths with the Authority and has commenced the installation of a container handling equipment when INTELS instituted a court action challenging the withdrawal of the offer. That case is still in court!” the statement read.
Recall that President Buhari last week, ordered the immediate suspension of Hadiza Usman after the Minister for transport, Rotimi Amaechi sent a letter to the president.
According to the letter dated, May 4, 2021, the yearly remittance of operating surpluses by the NPA from 2016 to 2020 was “far short of the amount due for actual remittance.”
Amaechi said within the stipulated years, the NPA recorded an outstanding un-remitted balance of N165 billion (N165, 320, 962, 697).
He suggested that the financial account of the NPA be investigated and audited.
In her response to the Chief of Staff, dated May 5, 2021, Ms Usman argued that the basis for arriving at the operating surplus of the NPA, upon which the budget office calculated the amount due as remittances to the federation account, was flawed and not in tune with the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
She said the figures provided by the budget office as the operating surplus for 2017 and 2018 were higher than the actual figures derived from the NPA’s audited financial statements.
“Audited Financial Statements of the Authority for the period 2017 and 2018 provides operating surpluses of N76.782 billion and N71.480 billion for 2017 and 2018 respectively, as contrary to the sums of N133.084 billion and N88.79 billion arrived at by tour office from the budgetary submission,” she wrote.
In line with the template of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, the “accessible operating surplus” stood at N51.09 billion and N42.51 billion for the respective years. From there, due remittances (80 per cent of the amounts) to the government account stood at N40.873 billion and N34.065 billion respectively.
The NPA paid in N42.415 billion and N33.969 billion for the two years, she said.
Hadiza Usman was immediately replaced by the NPA Director of Finance, Mohammed Koko and a panel of investigation was set up.
