…FG Has Lost Over $30bn In Revenue
BY EGUONO ODJEGBA
Contrary to purported claims of altruistic disposition advanced for the termination and unbundling of Intels Oil and Gas by the erstwhile Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman, there are indication she may have arrived NPA with a fierce determination to break the firm and to get her mentors, friends and cronies take over the unarguable gold mine.
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According to a classified document by a former top staffer of the authority, who was reacting to Usman’s controversial book titled ‘Stepping On Toes’, he faulted the former authority helmsman’s claim that the decision to break Intels was for national interest, noting she made effort to get Intels to cater for interest and her caucus, a request which was apparently turned down.
He further revealed that since sending Intels packing, the federal government has lost more than $30billion in revenue receipts, despite the strongest denial by the Usman led NPA.
He said, “The Hadiza regime upon assumption of Office targeted the service boat monitoring agency contract by Intels for dismantling. Our sources indicated that the onslaught on Intels was fueled by the failed unofficial meeting between Intels and herself along with a sitting Northern Governor in 2018 in London for a slice of the business.
“Due to the failure of the parley, the Authority under Hadiza threw caution to the winds at severing relationship with Intels.”
The former staffer said Usman could not be deterred even by court orders that ruled on an injunction for the status quo to be maintained, describing her as someone with high heel arrogance, and a character destroyer. He also described her as somebody with little regard for capacity and performance, where it comes to allowing her friends and cronies to deep their fingers in the national till.
“Not even the court order to the contrary could stop an Hadiza who was bent on making her cronies beneficiaries of the contract, notwithstanding their lack of experience and capacity to perform the job. Beyond the rhetoric of playing to the gallery by tarnishing the image of intels, there were some transactional issues between the Authority and intels, the implication of which is the current imbroglio caused by the termination. “No knowledgeable and sound administrator will see the investment of intel’s in Onne and try to push them out even though it was an open competitive bidding (while) the PPA Act has provided other alternative procurement method to adopt in line with accountability and transparency.”
The anonymous former employee said the action of NPA under the watch of Usman led to colossal monetary losses despite every official denial.
“From this unprofessional decision the federal government has lost over thirty six billion naira over the last 3 years that could have been remitted to the CFR of the FG, this has exonerated the HMT claim of non-remittance and the continuous claim by Hadiza of a clean slate.”
According to the classified report, the NPA is still indebted to Intels to the tune of $700million as fallout of the impudent contract cancellation.
“NPA is owing a sister company of Intels over $700m as at the year Hadiza cancelled their contract against a restraining court order, even though the same company financially assisted the APC as a party in its 2014/2015 campaign.
“After cancellation of their service boat monitoring contract, she went ahead to split it into 4 pilotage districts and program their awards to companies where she has vested interest but lacking in track records or capacity to handle the jobs.
He says “If Hadiza had national interest at heart, she would have considered Intels proposal for the retention of the contract to enable it recoup outstanding indebtedness of the Authority to her sister and the companies who funded some of the Authorities projects because of existing relationships between the Authority and Intels.”
The document also revealed that Intels offered to provide mutually beneficial safe landing opportunity for both organization, but that Usman rejected all the entreaties allegedly owing to vaulting conceit.
He explained that Intels offered the following to engender settlement and continuity. “A. Write off $100m interest from NPA indebtedness to the company. B. Reduce operating commission from 28% to 18%. C. Reduce cost of funds from labor + 6.5% to 3% only. Yet Hadiza rejected these offers for selfish reasons.”
According to the document obtained by our reporter, “the NPA under Hadiza at the expense of contempt of court went ahead to advertise the contract for service boat agency management for bidding, the outcome of which resulted to companies loyal to persons related to Hadiza as preferred bidders.
“Notwithstanding the incompetence of such companies, some of which have never been tested; and with no track records of similar or same experience.
“It is also on record that there has been significant decline in service boat revenue since the disengagement of Intels through self-serving and vindictive actions of Hadiza Bala Usman.”
The document listed names of persons believed to be related to Usman who became beneficiaries of the unbundled Intels pilotage and boat services. The include Isasha Investment Ltd, which is believed to be owned by Isa Musa Abba Rimi, son to Abba Musa Rimi, former chairman of African Circle, the company currently doing waste management for NPA. The former staffer says Usman has direct interest in Isasha Investment Ltd.
The second is Nexttee Oil and Gas Ltd owned by a terminal operator in Warri, believed to be Hadiza Usman’s girlfriend; while another is Pacific Silverline Ltd, linked to Munir Sani, a close and business associate of Usman’s brother, Attahiru.
The classified document listed various infractions and acts of insurbodination allegedly commited by the embattled former NPA boss, including describing her appetite for perceived self centredness as second to none.