Edozie Onwuachu
The administrative panel set up to probe the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on the watch of its suspended Managing Director, Hadiza Bala-Usman, has begun sitting. One of the issues that will be raised at the hearing is channel management. A number of questions will be asked: what is the state of the channels? What is the status of the contract for the Joint Venture Partnership for channel management (capital/maintenance and wreck removal)? Has the contract been awarded after the ministerial directive in August 2020 that further contract award in respect of the channel management should be put on hold?
Transportation Ministry: Why we Want NPA to Procure Equipments, Not Contracts thisdaylive.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thisdaylive.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
other controversial issues contributed to the suspension of Bala Usman as NPA MD.
Reacting to media reports, Magdalene Ajani, permanent secretary, ministry of transportation, in a statement issued on Tuesday, described the allegation that Amaechi recommended two Chinese companies to execute the contracts as a “deliberate attempt to drag the integrity of the minister in the mud.”
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“It is necessary to place on record that while Channel Management contracts have been routinely awarded over the years by the Nigerian Ports Authority at a cost of between 50 and 60 billion naira on an annual basis, the Honourable Minister has adopted a firm position that the NPA should undertake the job of channel management on an in-house basis through the acquisition of the necessary machinery and professional capacity given the humongous annual sums paid out to dredging contractors by the authority,” the statement read.
The ministry of transportation says it objected to the award
of channel management contracts by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) because
it is more cost-effective to procure necessary equipment and execute the
contracts in-house.
Several reports have traced the ‘cold war’ between Rotimi
Amaechi, minister of transportation and Hadiza Bala-Usman, the suspended
managing director of NPA, to the renewal of $1.5 billion channel management
contracts.
Reacting to media reports, Magdalene Ajani, permanent
secretary, ministry of transportation, in a statement issued on Tuesday,
described the allegation that Amaechi recommended two Chinese companies to
execute the contracts as a “deliberate attempt to drag the integrity of the
Amaechi Never Asked Bala Usman To Award $1.5billion Channel Management To Two Chinese Companies Transport Ministry
There is the need for NPA to know that they should purchase their own equipment and not award any contract.
by SaharaReporters, New York
May 11, 2021
The Federal Ministry of Transportation says its minister, Rotimi Amaechi never asked the suspended Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman to award $1.5 billion channel management to two Chinese companies.
A national daily had on Tuesday claimed Amaechi requested that the two companies be selected to manage Bonny and Warri Channels, a request the NPA rejected because it violated due process.