NPA Saga: Acting MD Culpable As Bala-Usman, says Group

Abiola Seun

A Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Data Centre for Rural Development, has said that the Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Mohammed Bello- Koko, is as guilty as Hadiza Bala-Usman in the ongoing alleged under remittance of operating surpluses to the federation account.

Recall, recently, Hadiza Bala-Usman was suspended over allegation of non-remittance of operating surplus to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) by the NPA management under her leadership.

However, Koko was the Executive Director of Finance and Admin and was appointed as the acting MD of the Authority.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday,, the Coordinating Director of Data Centre for Rural Development, Moses Uvomata lamented that it is wrong for Nigerian government to suspend the Managing Director, Hadiza Bala-Usman and keep the Executive Director of Finance and Admin, Mohammed Bello-Koko who is responsible for initiating remittances in question.

He said in every organisation, the person that is responsible for such remittance is the Executive Director of Finance who failed in his duties.

He said if the ED Finance had implemented the right Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution, a software that organisations use to manage day-to-day business activities such as accounting, procurement, project management, risk management and compliance, nobody would be talking about remittance now.

He also condemned the appointment of a member of the NPA board, Suleiman Auwalu, also a Director of Marine Services at the Ministry of transport to head the probe panel.

He said Auwalu is a director and member of the board is part of the system and he lacks capacity to head or even probe the MD. He said the ED Finance, Koko has not done the right and he has failed.

“Our demands: the Director of Finance and Admin should also be suspended immediately, the head of the probe panel should be changed immediately and after the probe, NPA should acquire the appropriate ERP that automate its accounting processes to avoid future occurrences of issues of this sort,” he added.

According to him, the head of every organization and the board/management are jointly and severally responsible for all acts of right/wrong doing in that organization, adding that someone must be professionally and directly responsible and every action must be geared towards achieving desired result or objective