Festus Akanbi
The suspension of Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority last Thursday by the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, against civil service rules for the removal of heads of MDAs, was the culmination of the personal desire of the minister to remove Hadiza and truncate her second term as Managing Director of agency.
Hadiza was not told what her offences were or formally communicated, before her suspension was announced by the presidency.
Not querying her or making her aware of her offence(s) before suspending her is a clear breach of the processes stipulated in the governmentâs own regulation for disciplining heads of government agencies. A government circular dated May 19, 2020, and endorsed by the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, stipulated that when there is an issue of impropriety against the head of an agency, the federal government requires a minister, through the permanent secretary of t
By Dirisu Yakubu
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, a few days ago, ruffled some feathers following the
suspension of Hadiza Bala-Usman as Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Amaechi whose Ministry supervises NPA is not happy that the agency has not been financially prudent in the management of its finances since 2016 when Bala-Usman was appointed to oversee the plum agency.
In a letter dated 4th March 2021, addressed to President Buhari, Amaechi prayed the Commander-in-Chief to cause an investigation to be carried out to ascertain the financial records of NPA.
Titled “Remittance of Operating Surplus to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) account by the Nigerian Ports Authority from 2016-Date,” the Minister drew the attention of the President to what he believed counts for a financial misdeed.
Daily Trust had earlier reported how Hadiza Bala Usman was suspended as Managing Director of the authority.
An aide of Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, had disclosed this to one of our correspondents, saying it had not been made official at the time.
But in his statement, Shehu said Buhari had approved a panel of inquiry on NPA and directed Usman to step aside.
The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the recommendation of the Ministry of Transportation under Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi for the setting up of an Administrative Panel of Inquiry to investigate the Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
Why Buhari suspended NPA boss Hadiza â Presidency
This was disclosed Thursday night by presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu.
Ms Bala-Usman, an ally of Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was first appointed as the NPA MD in 2016.
Her tenure was renewed for another five years in January this year.
Mr Shehu did not disclose details of the allegations against Ms Bala-Usman but said Mohammed Koko has been appointment as MD in acting capacity.
Until his appointment, Mr Koko was the Executive Director Finance in the agency.
Read full statement by Mr Shehu below.
PRESIDENT BUHARI APPROVES PANEL OF INQUIRY ON NPA, ASKS MD, HADIZA USMAN TO STEP ASIDE