Group Tasks “Bello Koko” To Reject MD NPA’s Appointment To Prove Innocence

Port activist group, Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders, Importers and Exporters Coalition (SNFFIEC) on Monday,  knocked the Interim Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Koko for accepting to occupy the office of the suspended MD, Hadiza Bala Usman.

 

The group opined that whatever fraud allegation levelled against Bala- Usman should be a shared responsibility because the acting MD was the Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the agency thus, whatever transpired could not have been without his knowledge.

 

Leader of the group, Osita Chukwu Patrick in a chat with newsmen, described the suspended MD as the best that the agency has ever had.

 

According to the leader of the port activist group, Usman  Bala has taken the Nigerian port from where it used to be to where it has never been before , saying if Nigeria had gotten her type, there would not have been need for port concessioning in 2006.

 

Recall that Hadiza Bala Usman was suspended on thursday, last week on the allegation of excessive expenditure of pollution control of how N4.2 billion was spent in 2017 as against N29 million in 2016, an increase of 14,310 %.

 

She was also accused of over bloated increase in expenditure on local and foreign medical expenses, legal fees, Corporate souvenirs and expenditure on other government agencies which rose from N50.29 million in 2016 to N338.59 million in 2017, a 573 per cent rise.

 

But speaking, SNFFIEC frontman said she was blackmailed in order to remove her from office.

 

While accusing Koko Bello as eyeing the top position of the NPA, Chukwu reiterated that”To show that he (Koko) is not happy that somebody who is your MD is suspended, I will say no and reject the offer If I were the one because both of you were together when the crime alleged was committed.

 

Osita who also doubles as the Chairman, Apapa Chapter, International Freight Forwarders Association (IFFA) opined that”It is the finance where he is that the allegation came from, are you sure he was not used as stooge to bring this woman down?

 

Speaking on her efficiency of Usman he said, “Had it been that this type of woman was there before concessioning, federal government wouldn’t have done concessioning.

 

“She came from a good background, she was well trained and an activist, she speaks for the masses. I don’t think what they are alleging that led to her suspension should be anything to discuss at all

 

“The state pole fighting the woman are people in the ministry of transport and her colleagues because she would never allow anyone to steal money and that’s the only anger.

 

According to him, the suspended MD incurred the wrath of her detractors because she refused to yield to their request to share public funds

 

“Quote me, she doesn’t want to give them the money that demanded, she doesn’t want to succumb, that’s why they are looking for loophole to get at her.

 

“If you look at what she has done in the port, you will know that she is a goose that lays the golden egg. Go to the port and see what I am talking about. The port used to be dirty but when she came, she fixed the roads used her ideological concept to make Dangote fix the port road in Apapa.

 

“The suspension of that lady is a bombshell to those of us that love our nation’s seaport. This kind of her person is hard to see in a country. She is in the class of Okonjo Iweala, Dora Akunyili, they are hard to come by,” he maintained.

 

He noted that Bala-Usman is not a saint but stressed that the issues on ground bothered round conspiracy theory of some forces in the system.

 

Osita added that already, the group had prepared awards for the embattled M.D as the best Chief Executive Officer in the maritime industry saying that the award will be presented to her despite the issue on ground.

 

By Roland Ekama