Suspended NPA MD, Hadiza Usman
A recommendation by the Transportation Minister , Rotimi Amaechi to President Muhammadu Buhari and the subsequent approval of the President led to the immediate suspension from office, of the Hadiza Bala Usman, as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority(NPA) yesterday.
Usman was suspended about two months to the end of her July 2021 five years first tenure in office , having assumed office in July 2016 , despite that she had lobbied extensively in January this year , to have her appointment renewed for the second term , about six months to the expiration of the first term.
President Buhari has however instantly approved Mohammed Koko, the Director of Finance in the Authority as a replacement for now for the erstwhile Managing Director .
Though, full details leading to the suspension of Usman are still unfolding , but dependable sources said it was not unconnected to allegation of financial impropriety and high level insubordination against her office, coupled with the realistion of the Presidency that the second term approval earlier granted her lacked Due Process.
It was reliably gathered that Amaechi unhappy with the fact that himself as the Minister of Transportation, the supervising Ministry which oversees the activities of the NPA but was hardly consulted by her when the need arose, had swiftly embarked on a probe of her activities as the MD .
But President Buhari had to finally order for her suspension sequel to his approval of the Minister of Transportation’ recommendation for the setting up of an Administrative Panel of Inquiry to investigate the Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA.
The panel is to be headed by the Director, Maritime Services of the Ministry while the Deputy Director, Legal of the same ministry will serve as Secretary.
Other members of the panel will be appointed by the Minister.
