News Editor
Peter Jerome
The presidential panel of inquiry set up by the president to investigate the Managing Director of the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman breathes an air of satisfaction and a storm of discontent in the camp of two political compatriot.
Rotimi Amaechi the former Governor of Rivers State and Current Minister of Transport and Nasir El-Rufai the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and current Governor of Kaduna State are archetypes of the proverbial nature of permanent “Interest” as against “Friendship” in political relationships. The duo, had since from the build-up to the 2015 general elections, walked down a noticeable lane of friendship. They were even rumors and speculations of the two planning to run the Presidential and Vice-presidential race together come 2023, evident in the published posters on the streets of Abuja as at late 2020.
Strong sources have it that with Amaechi’s assumption of office as the Minister of Transportation in 2015, the two prominent agencies under that Ministry; the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) was shared between him (Amaechi) and his friend (El-Rufai) respectively. While Amaechi enlisted Dakuku Peterside for the Director General and Chief Executive of NIMASA, El-Rufai enlisted the now embattled Hadiza Bala as the Managing Director of NPA.
The narratives of this political friendship changed when Hadiza Bala threw caution to the wind and shifted her loyalty from her direct Boss; the Minister to El-Rufai in the course of administrative duties and office politiking. Amaechi still trying to come to terms with this perceived threat to his political ego, realized lately that the same Hadiza had lobbied and secured a second term approval from quarters beyond his knowledge six months before the expiration of her tenure, a privilege Amaechi’s nominee; Peterside never enjoyed, but was replaced swiftly after his first tenure with an interest from the Presidency.
The underlying truth from credible grounds is that Amaechi now feeling betrayed, cheated and his political ego being played on, and having had good knowledge of the various administrative and financial irregularities that has been going on in NPA under Hadiza, decided to take his own pound of flesh, by blowing sensitive fact regarding these irregularities into the ears of the Presidency and followed it up with a recommendation through his office as the Minister of Transportation to the President for an administrative panel of inquiry to be set up to investigate the Management of the NPA. A recommendation that has been approved by the President during the early hours of Friday.
The President further approved that the Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman to step aside while investigations is carried out, while appointing Mr. Mohammed Koko from the wing of the President to act in that position.
The President, through his spokesman Garba Shehu appointed the Director, Maritime Services of the Ministry to Head the panel and the Deputy Director, Legal of the same ministry to serve as Secretary, while the Minister appoints other members.
