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Former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman has revealed why former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi ensured she was removed as Managing Director of NPA.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Bala-Usman made the revelation in her newly released book, titled, ‘Stepping on Toes: My Odyssey at the Nigerian Ports Authority’.
She said Amaechi wanted her out of NPA because “two of the most important contracts in the authority were due for renewal”.
Recall Bala-Usman was suspended as NPA’s Managing Director in 2021, and eventually replaced by Mohammed Bello-Koko in 2022.
President Muhammadu Buhari approved her suspension after Amaechi alleged that the agency under her watch failed to remit N165 billion operating surplus to the coffers of the federal government.
The government said the suspension would allow it investigate the allegations against the former MD.
Usman denied wrongdoing in a February 26, 2021 letter and she was exonerated by an administrative panel of inquiry set up to investigate the alleged mismanagement.
Speaking on the troubled times, Bala-Usman accused Amaechi of demanding “an extension of tenure of the companies providing capital dredging services without due process”.
The ex-NPA boss added that Amaechi also “got approval for the restoration of an expired service boat contract” despite the company’s initial deal being terminated for violation of the federal government treasury single account (TSA) policy.
“At this point, it occurred to me what stakeholder said about the Minister wanting me out of office at the point that two of the most important contracts in the authority were due for renewal. The first of these was the capital dredging contract and the second, was the service boat management contract.
“While the Minister demanded an extension of tenure of the companies providing capital dredging services without due process, he got approval for the restoration of an expired service boat contract.
“He got this even though the company was owing the federal government, had violated the treasury single account policy, and above all, no longer had any contract with the NPA. I thought that his desperation to keep me out of office was to an end,” Bala-Usman wrote.
Bala-Usman also claimed to have had a personal reconciliatory meeting with the Minister during which Amaechi accused her of writing directly to the President without recourse to him as supervising minister.
She said the former Minister told her that he took the steps against her because he no longer wanted her in the office and asked that she resigned voluntarily or challenge her suspension in court.