Anne Ejuka
Following the confirmation of the termination of the embattled managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority Hadiza Bala Usman by President Mohammadu Buhari, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prosecute Hadiza Bala-Usman over what they described as “over exposed looting of N165 billion in the agency".
The party made this known in a statement on Thursday signed by the spokesman of the party, Prince Kola Ologbodiyan insisting that President Muhammadu Buhari should not just “ease-out” Bala-Usman, but must go-ahead to prosecute her for the alleged looting and revelations from the office of the Auditor General, which also unearthed the alleged stealing of unremitted deductions to Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) amounting to N3,667,750,470. $148,845,745.04, €4,891,449.50 and £252,682.14 during her watch as managing Director of the agency.
While charging the EFCC to immediately take in Bala Usman for questioning and prosecution over the alleged fraud, including the reported stealing of N15.18 billion through alleged shady Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects by the NPA, the PDP also urged the EFCC to investigate the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi under whose ministerial watch the alleged looting in NPA was perpetrated.
The PDP restates that the fact that it took the minister a clear six years (2016 to 2021) to query the NPA Managing Director, over looting of N165 billion unremitted operational surplus of the agency, raises public apprehensions of an afterthought, which only came after indicting audit documents had already been exposed".
“The PDP, standing with Nigerians, will continue to closely monitor the actions of the President Buhari's administration and resist any attempt by the APC to sweep the matter under the carpet in the desperation to shield many of its leaders involved in the reckless looting in the NPA, particularly, finances relating to the 2019 elections sleaze funds" the statement stated.
