Hadiza Bala Usman Only Asked To Step Aside Not Suspended – Amaechi Says
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – The Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, has declared that the suspended Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Bala Usman was only asked to ‘step aside’ pending the conclusion of the probe of the agency.
This was as the Minister accused the media of creating “too much noise” on the suspension of Hadiza Bala Usman as Managing Direct5or of the NPA.
Amaechi, who stated these during an interview with Arise Television on Monday, that was monitored in Abuja, pointedly said that he is not aware that Hadiza Bala Usman was suspended by him since he does not have the powers to do so.
In his words; “I am not aware that I suspended Hadiza. I am not the president. So, I don’t have such power. That power rests with the president. What happened, I suspect, is that she was asked to step aside to enable investigation to be carried out on NPA, not on her.
“We are investigating NPA. At the conclusion of the investigation, all the reports will be forwarded to the president who would make a determination on the way forward,” he said.
The Transportation Minister explained that it is the NPA that is under investigation, thus the Managing Director was asked to step aside pending the conclusion of the investigation.
He said that when the investigation is concluded, the report would be forwarded to the president, who will make a determination and decide what happens next, adding however that he is not sure when the panel will conclude the current probe of the NPA.
President Muhammadu Buhari on May 5, 2021 approved the suspension of Hadizq Bala Usman based on the recommendation of the Minister of Transportation.
The suspension of Hadiza Bala Usman was followed with the inauguration of an 11-member panel to investigate all contracts awarded since 2016 by the NPA.
