Ex-NPA Boss Hadiza Bala Usman Says Atiku's INTELS Still Owes FG N95.2 Billion
- Former NPA Managing Director Hadiza Bala Usman has said that INTELS, owned by Abubakar Atiku, still owes the Nigerian government $207 million
- She said the money is an unremitted fund into the Treasury Single (TSA)
- She alleged that Rotimi Amaechi removed her because she did not agree to do things against the interest of Nigeria
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The former Managing Director of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman has alleged that Integrated Logistics Services (INTELS), owned by Atiku Abubakar, still owes the Nigerian government $207 million, about N95.2 billion as of the time she was removed from office.
Usman disclosed in her memoir that she was wrongly accused and suspended from office by Rotimi Amaechi, the immediate past minister of transportation.
Source: Getty Images
Usman discloses last payment made by INTELS
Usman alleged in her memoir, 'Stepping On Toes; My Odyssey at the NPA' that Amaechi wanted to remove her from office at all costs because she did agree to his request to back down on issues that were not in Nigeria's interest.
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According to her, INTEL's remittances to the Treasury Single Account (TSA) were less frequent because the company mainly needed to be more accountable.
She said the last remittance INTELS made was about $30.2 million on January 2020 for revenue from International Oil Companies into the TSA account.
She also stated that as of May 2021, the sum of $207.646,757 already reconciled remained unremitted to TSA.
"For instance, while the total revenue reconciled by the joint committee for the period between November 1, 2017, and March 31, 2018, was $77,973,005.49, only $22,270,774.32 was remitted to the service boats dedicated to TSA, the company retained the balance of $55,702,231.17," she said.
Usman further said that the situation was a battle until March 29, 2019, when NPA issued INTELS a three-month notice of termination of the agency as stipulated in Article 8 (c) of its agreement with the firm.
She said that NPA expressed concern over INTELS's failure to pay all revenue received on behalf of NPA into TSA.
In a letter dated March 1, 2019, she said that NPA expressed concern over the company's failure to pay all the revenue received on behalf of the Authority into the TSA.
"It (the letter) highlighted that the supplemental agreement stipulates that the full receipts should go into the account after which reconciliation is carried and INTELS get paid."
INTELS paid just 20 per cent of money collected into TSA
According to Usman, about 80% of revenue was withheld by INTELS. In comparison, only 20% was paid to TSA, necessitating the Authority to give INTEL five days' grace to remit outstanding payments.
She said:
"However, it was already a done deal, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. The company obtained bank loans to execute the project, and the NPA was burdened for the cost of funds. We felt this was unfair. This was a contract for which the government would not just pay but had also offered INTELS a 25-year concession; thus, liability for the cost of funds should not be the responsibility of the government," she said.
BusinessDay reports that Usman wrote a letter of complaint on unremitted government funds by INTELS to EFCC Chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa and sought EFC C's intervention on the unremitted fund.
Finally, Ports Authority boss opens up on key activities of oil thieves on Nigeria's pipelines
Legit.ng reported that the managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Tuesday, October 25, disclosed that oil thieves usually turn off the automatic identification system of the vessels before engaging in their criminal activities.
AIS is an automated tracking system that uses transceivers on ships and is used by vessel traffic services.
Mohammed Bello-Koko, while speaking at a press briefing in Abuja said the oil thieves will permanently turn off the system to avoid detection of their activities.
Source: Legit.ng
