President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2021 approved the suspension of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman and an Administrative Panel of Inquiry was set up to investigate the management of the NPA. In this report, TOLA ADENUBI reveals reasons the embattled MD may never return to Marina.
For more than five years, Hadiza Bala Usman bestrode the NPA headquarters located at number 26/28 Marina Street in Lagos, calling the shots as Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria’s premier port regulatory agency. However, the journey that started in 2016 was unceremoniously interrupted when President Muhammadu Buhari approved her suspension to allow investigation of the agency between 2016 and May 6, 2021. It has been six months since the former NPA boss was asked to step aside, but some development around the Federal Ministry of Transportation is fast pointing to the fact that she may never return as MD.
Unlimited investigation
The first pointer to the fact that Hadiza Bala Usman may never return as MD is the unlimited timeline given to the 11-member committee set up to investigate activities of the NPA under her. At many fora, the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi had publicly stated that the committee had no timeline for the assignment bestowed on it.
The committee’s term of reference include but not limited to: examining and investigating the administrative policies and strategies adopted by NPA’s Managing Director, Hadiza Usman, and confirm compliance with extant laws and rules from 2016 till date; examine and investigate issues leading to the termination of other contracts of NPA and confirm compliance with the terms of the respective contracts, court ruling and presidential directives; examine and investigate compliance with communication channel, as obtained in the public service; examine and investigate the procurement of contracts from 2016 to May 2021; come up with suggestions and advice that would strengthen the operations of NPA and forestall such occurrences in future; amongst others.
However, while inaugurating the panel of inquiry, the Minister echoed that there is no time limit for the investigation. According to Amaechi, “This is in the discharge of our responsibility as a ministry and I don’t see why anybody is complaining.
“What is wrong in looking at what is happening in NPA? I don’t see what is wrong in that. As the Minister of Transportation for four years, I hardly know what is happening and I want to know now.
“The president agrees with me that it is my responsibility as minister to find out what is going on. It worries me that people are saying we should not ask questions. Nobody has been indicted. Can we know what is going on in NPA? That’s the question. If everything is right, why do we have to bother at the end of the day?
“When you have completed your assignment, we will be glad to pass on the report to the President, but don’t forget your assignment will include activities of procurement and its processes from 2016 till date.
“And that is why you do not have a time limit. So, it will take you some time. You are not auditing, but to find out the processes. Please be diligent, invite anybody you want to invite, including the minister, if there are infractions you need me to clarify.”
For industry watchers, the lack of a timeline for the panel of inquiry is a death sentence for the Hadiza Bala Usman-led NPA leadership. In the words of a maritime lawyer who would not want his name in print, “How can you say there is no time limit for a panel of inquiry on activities of NPA between 2016 to May 2021? It is as good as telling Hadiza goodbye, your time at NPA is over.”
Pattern of replacement
For industry watchers, the pattern of replacement for Hadiza Bala Usman is also another pointer to the fact that she might not return as MD.
“The Minister of Transportation was careful to replace the embattled NPA MD with somebody from her constituency. It was a master stroke. The pattern of replacement did not even generate any noise from the North because it is a case of a northerner replacing another northerner. The acting NPA MD is from Kebbi State.
“Aside the fact that the acting MD is from Kebbi State, he has delivered so far in his acting capacity. The records speak for themselves. Since May when Mohammed Bello-Koko took over the mantle of leadership of the NPA in acting capacity, he has focused more on upgrade of port infrastructure. He has further perfected the agency’s e-call-up system by pushing the contractor handling the project, the Trucks Transit Park (TTP), to deliver on their mandate. He has refused to sit back in his office in Marina and rather has been visiting the ports, inspecting the performance of the e-call-up system physically. That has kept everybody on their toes.
“The man just recently wrote to security agencies, asking for the redeployment of security officials that have spent more than five years on their current duty post. This is a ploy to unravel those behind the now very lucrative extortion business along the port access roads.
“The acting MD also renovated the ports control towers to better improve communication between incoming vessels and the ports. He is further cementing his claim to be confirmed as substantive MD.
“So, you can see that the person that replaced Hadiza Usman temporarily has been delivering on all fronts, and that makes it more difficult for her to return. You can see why the industry has not been clamouring for her return. The industry has simply not missed her. Instead, the industry has simply moved on,” the maritime lawyer told the Nigerian Tribune exclusively.
An election year beckons
Another reason why Hadiza Bala Usman may struggle to reclaim her seat at the NPA is the fact that the investigation is gradually dragging into a year preceding an election year, meaning there might be no time left to go asking for recommendations from the panel of inquiry.
“In another month’s time, we will be one more year to go before the general elections. The rush to prepare for 2023 might overshadow any expected recommendation from the 11-man panel of inquiry. The panel might not just have the time to even submit its recommendations, not to talk of getting the Minister or the presidency to act on them.
“This is November, and we are yet to hear from the 11-man panel of inquiry. Even if they submit their recommendations by December, there is no time for implementation. From January 2022, all energy will be diverted on election preparation. There are rumours that the Minister himself is giving the presidency a shot, so he definitely won’t have the time to be implementing recommendations from one panel of inquiry that we don’t even know if they are sitting.
“It’s unfortunate that Hadiza Bala Usman’s ordeal has dragged into a year preceding an election year. Time is definitely running out on her. Some people are already clamouring for the confirmation of the acting MD, so you see she does not have the luxury of time on her side,” the maritime lawyer explained.
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