The Federal Government has formed a committee to investigate the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, made the announcement in a statement on Thursday.
We previously announced that Hadiza Bala Usman, the authority’s Managing Director, had been suspended.
This was revealed to one of our correspondents by an aide to Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, who said that it had not been made official at the time.
However, in his statement, Shehu said that Buhari had authorised a panel of inquiry into the NPA and had ordered Usman to step down.
The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the recommendation of the Ministry of Transportation under Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi for the setting up of an Administrative Panel of Inquiry to investigate the Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
“The President has also approved that the Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman, step aside while the investigation is carried out. Mr Mohammed Koko will act in that position.
“The panel is to be headed by the Director, Maritime Services of the Ministry while the Deputy Director, Legal of the same ministry will serve as Secretary. Other members of the panel will be appointed by the minister.”
