The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) boats pilotage monitoring and supervision contract with INTELS Nigeria Limited remains terminated, the authority’s Chief Executive, Hadiza Usman, has said.
The NPA boss told newsmen on Monday in Lagos that the contract was terminated on the advice of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minster of Justice, Malam Abubakar Malami.
According to her, the legal advice was contained in an AGF’s letter dated Sept. 27, 2017, which was a response to NPA’s May 31, 2017 letter in which it sought clarity on the matter.
Usman said that she had raised letters and held several meetings with INTELS management to comply with the Federal Government’s directive on the Treasury Single Account (TSA) since she assumed office 15 months ago.
“They (INTELS) maintained their stand not to make payment to NPA. They want to deduct 28 per cent commission and other costs.
“NPA says a TSA account has been opened and that at the end of the month, there will be reconciliation of accounts but INTELS refused. Will I spend 15 months talking to a company to comply with the constitution of the country?” she asked.
Usman explained that all further attempts by the NPA to get the company obey the payment directive was met with various excuses, stressing that the NPA management would proceed on a transitional arrangement to engage another firm.
On fear of job losses, the managing director said that the workers would be absorbed by any entity that took up the job.
On repair of port access roads, Usman said she had sent so many letters to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, to provide clarity on budgetary provisions for the port access roads.
Similarly, she said that the bad state of Ikom Bridge in Cross River had not allowed containers to move to the northern part of the country.
The managing director, however, said that it was not under the purview of the NPA to provide N1.8 billion for the rehabilitation of port access roads.
On the controversial contract on buoys, she said that the NPA management had discovered concerned officers that misguided the authority on the contract.
“We need buoys. We are going to buy more buoys. We hope that the controversy will be resolved to enable the firm – Marina Energy- to continue,” she said.