Olayiwola Matthew
Garba Shehu, a former spokesman to late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari has revealed that the late president sacked Hadiza Bala Usman, former managing director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), despite their close ties following a recommendation from Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation.
The NPA was one of several agencies overseen by Amaechi during his tenure as minister from 2015 to 2022.
He recommended Bala Usman’s removal based on allegations that the NPA under her leadership failed to remit N165 billion operating surplus to the federal government coffers.
Bala Usman, now special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy and coordination, was later cleared by an administrative panel of inquiry set up to investigate the alleged mismanagement.
In her book, “Stepping on Toes: My Odyssey at the Nigerian Ports Authority”, the ex-NPA boss opened up on the major issues that led to her ouster by Amaechi.
She said Amaechi wanted her out of NPA because “two of the most important contracts in the authority were due for renewal”.
She accused the former minister of demanding “an extension of tenure of the companies providing capital dredging services without due process”.
Amaechi denied the allegations.
Speaking on the matter in Abuja on Thursday while discussing his new book, “According to the President”, Shehu said despite the complexities, Buhari acted on Amaechi’s recommendation.
The book captures Buhari’s leadership style, policy priorities, and approach to governance.
“See what happened with Hadiza Bala Usman and Governor Amaechi. Hadiza was to Buhari like a daughter. And they had an ongoing disagreement with the minister, and the minister wrote to say, ‘Mr. President, I recommend that she should be suspended from office’,” Shehu said.
“When the president looked at the thing, the chief of staff came to him and said, ‘President, we can’t do this’. Buhari looked at the chief of staff and said, ’This is my approval. Go and carry it out because the minister is her supervising boss and he has determined that she’s not worthy of that office she’s keeping’.
“Hadiza Bala was asked to go. That’s the kind of person Buhari was. He was completely detached as to personal interest.”