Babajide Okeowo
Following a report by an online news medium that the suspended Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman, disobeyed several court orders by revoking the operating licenses of the Integrated Logistics Services Limited (INTELS) and other contractors, the suspended NPA MD has spoken up, denying the allegations.
In her reaction to the allegation Bala-Usman said she owed Nigerians an explanation for whatever steps she took in her service to the nation.
“Although the story claimed that the alleged frustration was meted out to contractors. It had no other instance to cite than the already overstated and repeatedly explicated case of the Integrated Logistics Services Limited.
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“For the sake of the generality of Nigerians, whom I owe an explanation for whatever steps I take in the service of the nation, I presents the truth of the INTELS story as follows: Neither I nor the Nigerian Port Authority disobeyed any court order in the matters involving INTELS or any other company for that matter.
“As a corollary to this, there was no court order existing at the time of the expiration of the boat pilotage contract between the NPA and INTELS by August 8, 2020.
“I should also state that this contract was not terminated.
“For the records, INTELS was engaged as managing agents of the authority for oil industry related activities in the compulsory pilotage district within the Exclusive Economic Zone of Nigeria.
“This contract commenced in June 2007 with a review of an extension of 10 years in 2011 to culminate in August 2020.
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“The Authority had, in 2017, served INTELS with a notice of termination for its refusal to comply with the Treasury Single Account, TSA policy of the Federal Government.
“Following the receipt of the termination notice, the company complied with the policy. A supplemental agreement was signed to recognise the compliance to TSA and the notice of termination was accordingly withdrawn.”
She added that in compliance with the Public Procurement Act, the authority in Dec 2019 initiated a public tender process in anticipation of the expiration of the contract in August 2020.
“INTELS, alongside other companies submitted bids to qualify for the tender in line with the criteria spelled out in the public advert.”
Recall that an online newspaper had reported that Bala-Usman worked to frustrate the Integrated Logistics Services Limited and other contractors by revoking their contracts and frustrating their concessions.
The report had said, “Hadiza cancelled INTELS boat service contract in brazen defiance of court orders as part of her selfish plan.
“Although there were court orders restraining the suspended MD from doing so, she ignored them.
“To accomplish her plot, the suspended MD got NPA accuse INTELS of refusing to remit to the Federal Government some service boat pilotage revenue said to be in the firm’s custody amounting to $207,646m (N78.905 billion) as at September 30, 2019.”