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Hadiza Bala Usman faces a major problem if N3.6 Billion and $150 Million is not Explained.
Hadiza Bala Usman faces a major problem if N3.6 Billion and $150 Million is not Explained.
NewsReport Nigeria May 9, 2021
The Federal Government is looking into unremitted Value Added Tax deductions to the Federal Inland Revenue Service by the Nigerian Ports Authority, which was led by the suspended NPA Managing Director, Hadiza Bala-Usman, reported by NewsReport Nigeria
“There are unremitted deductions to FIRS totaling N3,667,750,470; $148,845,745.04; €4,891,449.50; and £252,682.14,” an impeccable source at the Federal Ministry of Transportation stated, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the nature of the matter.
This online information learned that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd. ), was looking into the alleged failure of the Nigerian Ports Authority to remit an N165.32 billion operating surplus.
According to the report, this could be related to the recent suspension of the port authority’s CEO, Hadiza Bala-Usman.
According to transportation ministry sources, the NPA is also being investigated for violating government policies regarding the implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility.
“The NPA under Hadiza violated government policy on the implementation of CSR projects/programs, and its records relating to CSR fell short of the level of compliance with the Public Procurement Act, 2007,” according to the source.
According to the official, the Presidency was astounded that there was no or very little evidence of compliance with the Public Procurement Act and that the majority of the CSR projects/programs were exaggerated.
“The Presidency observed that delivery of CSR items was not accompanied by delivery letters, and that in most cases, there was no evidence of actual items delivered and who signed for them,” the official stated.
According to the source, “Bala-Usman must explain to Nigerians why and how N4.2 billion was spent on CSR in 2017 as opposed to N29 million in 2016 (an increase of 14,310%).”
According to the official, at least N20 billion in NPA financial transactions could not be traced, documented, or explained between 2016 and 2018.
Concerns that there was a procedural violation in asking Bala-Usman to step aside for the investigation to begin were dismissed by the source as “completely wrong.”
According to the official, “Constitutionally, the President has the authority to hire or fire any of his appointees at any time.”
“She wasn’t even fired in this case. She was simply asked to step aside while an investigation was conducted. And it was the President who did it, not the minister.”
However, Bala-Usman stated in a letter, with reference MD/17/MF/VOL-XX/541, dated May 5, 2021, and addressed to the Chief of Staff to the President, that the NPA was aware of Buhari’s approval for the FMoT to conduct an audit of the NPA’s accounts and remittances to the CRF.
When asked if the transportation ministry followed due process before suspending Bala-Usman, FMoT spokesperson Eric Ojiekwe did not answer calls to his mobile phone and had yet to respond to a text message sent to him on the subject.