The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) boats pilotage monitoring and supervision contract with INTELS Nigeria Limited, a company linked with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who is also a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC remains terminated, the authority’s Chief Executive, Hadiza Usman, has said.
The NPA boss told newsmen on Monday in Lagos that the contract was terminated on the advice of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minster of Justice, Malam Abubakar Malami.
According to her, the legal advice was contained in an AGF’s letter dated Sept. 27, 2017, which was a response to NPA’s May 31, 2017 letter in which it sought clarity on the matter.
Usman said that she had raised letters and held several meetings with INTELS management to comply with the Federal Government’s directive on the Treasury Single Account (TSA) since she assumed office 15 months ago.
“They (INTELS) maintained their stand not to make payment to NPA. They want to deduct 28 per cent commission and other costs.
“NPA says a TSA account has been opened and that at the end of the month, there will be reconciliation of accounts but INTELS refused.
“Will I spend 15 months talking to a company to comply with the constitution of the country?” she asked.
Usman explained that all further attempts by the NPA to get the company obey the payment directive was met with various excuses.
She said the NPA management would proceed on a transitional arrangement to engage another firm.
On fear of job losses, the managing director said that the workers would be absorbed by any entity that took up the job.
On repair of port access roads, Usman said she had sent so many letters to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, to provide clarity on budgetary provisions for the port access roads.
Similarly, she said that the bad state of Ikom Bridge in Cross River had not allowed containers to move to the northern part of the country.
The managing director, however, said that it was not under the purview of the NPA to provide N1.8 billion for the rehabilitation of port access roads.
On the controversial contract on buoys, she said that the NPA management had discovered concerned officers that misguided the authority on the contract.
“We need buoys. We are going to buy more buoys.
“We hope that the controversy will be resolved to enable the firm – Marina Energy- to continue,’’ she said.
View Comments (1)
What concerns me about this whole NPA/INTELs issue is not about non remittance of what's due to the government by INTELs , but INTELS must pay all the monies received including INTELS percentage, which isn't part of the initial contract. INTELS has cried out that all the monies into TSA won't be good for business because of loans the company is still paying, that complain from INTELS isn't NPA's concern as the NPA boss puts it. This is a business that contributes inmensly to the economy and it's business concerns are not to be looked into? How is this for the good of the country, how about the people lossing their jobs, in an administration that has failed to provide jobs for it's teaming youths? How about the community already lossing what it benefits from INTELS.The women empowering scheme synergy (WEPSS)-a company producing dresses, overalls, aprons, personal protective equipment and lots more-employing indigents local women has been shut down already. This is a business and not politics and all must be considered so as the Nigerian govt not to perceived as hostile to private investment. Our economy has already suffered enough, there should be less politics in this issue and more of wise business decisions.