Your Book ‘Stepping On Toes’ Full Of Lies – Amaechi Mocks Hadiza Bala Usman

BY CHINYERE OBIORA – Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has accused the immediate past Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Usman of documenting false narratives against him in the book titled, ‘Stepping on Toes: My Odyssey at the Nigerian Ports Authority’.

Amaechi spoke on Thursday at The Niche annual lecture in Lagos with the theme: “Why We Stride and Slip: Leadership, Nationalism and the Nigerian Condition,” held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island.

At the occasion chaired by Dr Uma Eleazu, a former director of the National Policy Development Centre, Amaechi, responding for the first time to claims against him in the book, said Hadiza Usman deliberately omitted the offences that led to her removal as the Chief Executive of NPA.

In the now controversial book, the former NPA boss chronicled her emergence and struggles while in the office even alleging that Amaechi, as the then Minister, orchestrated her removal from office in February 2022 because she did not shower him with favours.

But at the lecture, the former Transportation Minister said restraining himself from responding to the claims in Hadiza’s book was on purpose given that the lies stated therein were “just too many”, noting that claims in the book that he orchestrated her removal as the NPA Managing Director were also ‘totally untrue’.

The administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari suspended Hadiza from office as NPA Managing Director in May 2021 over alleged non-remittance of about N165bn operating surpluses into the Consolidated Revenue Fund Account of the federation by the NPA.

Amaechi said, “Some of you must have read the book written by the former MD of the NPA, ‘Stepping on Toes.’ There has been a huge debate about whether I should respond or not. The lies were too many. For instance, she claims that she was not indicted by the panel but she was found guilty of all the 10 counts. I even came with a copy of the memo to the President in which the President endorsed her removal.

“We took the President through all the counts, including the fact that a Managing Director of NPA with N2.5 million approval limit can approve N2.8 billion contract. No appropriation, including the fact that even if I were to approve despite the lack of appropriation, you are overpriced by N58 million, so tell them to refund the difference, having awarded the contract.

“Why is that document not public? Prominent Nigerians are involved. She gave waivers to prominent Nigerians which she had no power to give and these are dollars accruable to the Nigerian economy but she was bold to write the book and Nigerians followed her to launch the book.”

Offering further insights, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chieftain said; “There is a huge debate in the past six months about whether I should respond or not. I said I would respond today but 90 percent said I should not. The lies were too many. For instance, she claimed she was not invited by the panel. I even came with the memo of the president, where the president endorsed her removal.

“Count one is in the question of the fact that the panel says she is guilty; count two is due to the fact that a Managing Director of NPA with N2.5 million approval limit can approve N2.8 billion contract with no appropriation. Why is that document not published because prominent Nigerians are involved?

“She gave waivers to prominent Nigerians, which she has no power to give and these are dollars accruable to Nigeria’s economy but she was bold enough to write a book or is it a pamphlet and Nigerians are following her, launching the book, so how will Nigeria move forward?

“Let’s wait until they bring the original copy because if I give you the photocopy, you will say it is fake. I will show you the original but I won’t allow you to read it because you would see the names of those prominent Nigerians that were indicted by the panel. I would rather read the areas that concern her and leave those prominent Nigerians, they didn’t look for my trouble.

“But to show you how bad the situation was for me as the Minister of Transport, the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the President and Vice President, including the Minister of Transport, will approve an agreement for Lekki Deep Sea Port, the MD of NPA will change it and when queried, she will say for national interest, so we are for Biafra interest?”

Reacting to Hadiza’s claims in the book that Amaechi was angry because she did not buy him a birthday gift, the former Rivers State Governor said on the contrary, she used to buy him birthday gifts until he became a Minister and requested that she stop the gestures.

According to him; “She gave me a lot of birthday presents, from the time I met her to when I became a Minister. When I became a minister, the last birthday present she gave me was a big returnee bag. So I said no, that I am now a minister. You are now my subordinate, but she lied. Would you believe that somebody who worked under me since 2013 would not give me a birthday present”?

Speaking earlier, the Managing Director of the Niche Ikechukwu Amaechi stated that the lecture was aimed at addressing issues affecting the country, noting that; “Nigeria is at the crossroads, no doubt. All the indices of human development are pointing south. Why are we thriving and sliding”.

The panel of discussants at the event had Funke Treasure, Yakubu Mohammed, Prof Anthony Kila, Chidi Amuta and Valentine Ozigbo, while Amechi and Eleazu were inducted into ‘TheNiche Hall of Fame’.