Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has been fingered in e controversy surrounding the removal of the managing director of the Nigerian Port Authority, NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman.
Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, had on Thursday night said her suspension would allow a panel of inquiry set up by the federal government to investigate the management of the agency to carry out its task without hindrance.
The president approved the appointment of Mr Mohammed Koko to act for Bala-Usman. Buhari also approved the recommendation by Amaechi for the setting up of an administrative panel of inquiry to investigate the NPA management.
ThisDay reports that the panel is to be headed by the Director, Maritime Services of the Ministry of Transportation, while the Deputy Director, Legal of the ministry will serve as the secretary.
Other members of the panel will be appointed by the minister.
It was gathered that Amaechi had been on Bala-Usman’s case for about two years but finally had his way yesterday.
The latest pretest the minister used to oust the NPA boss, said a source, is related to the audit and payments to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the federation, which was managed by the authority’s Director of Finance and Administration, Mr Mohammed Koko, who has now been appointed the acting managing director.
Koko is also said to be Amaechi’s account officer while he was governor in Rivers State.
He is also the minister’s appointee to the NPA board.
Another source expressed fear that Bala-Usman might not get justice as the panel investigating her is made up of Amaechi’s staff in the ministry.
A source close to the intrigue told THISDAY: “What more evidence of impending Kangaroo proceeding do you expect when the person managing the suspect’s account is now in charge of the organisation? Does that make sense?
Meanwhile, other sources say the sack of Usman could signal a fight between Amaechi and Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai over 2023 and control of the board since the sacked MD was a nominee of the governor.
