Headlines

Group seeks removal of Koko as Ag. NPA MD —says he is as culpable as Hadiza.

Eyewitness reporter

Data Centre for Rural Development, a Non-government organisation, has faulted the appointment of Mohammed Koko as the Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), saying he was as guilty as Hadiza Bala Usman in the alleged under- remittance to the Federal accounts.

It could be recalled that Hadiza, the Managing Director of NPA, was suspended from office over alleged under -remittance of an operating surplus of NPA to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) by the NPA management under her leadership.

However, Koko, who was the Executive Director of Finance and Administration, was appointed in her stead as Acting MD.

The Coordinating Director of the NGO, Moses Uvomata, while speaking on Wednesday with newsmen, condemned what he described as a faulty arrangement, saying it was unjust and wrong for the Nigerian government to suspend Hadiza Bala-Usman but rewarded the Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Mohammed Bello-Koko, who was responsible for initiating remittances in question.

He said in every organisation, the person that is responsible for such remittance is the Executive Director of Finance who failed in his duties.

The activist believed that if Koko, as the ED,. finance had implemented the right Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution, a software that organisations use to manage day-to-day business activities such as accounting, procurement, project management, risk management and compliance, nobody would be talking about under remittance now.

He said Koko has not done the right things and has failed.

Uvomata similarly condemned the appointment of a member of the NPA board, Suleiman Auwalu, also a Director of Marine Services at the Ministry of transport, to head the probe panel.

He said Auwalu, is a Director and member of the board who is part of the system, saying he lacks the moral capacity to head or even probe Hadiza.

The NGO however demanded the removal and suspension of both Koko and Auwalu for the case of justice and equity

“The Director of Finance and Admin should also be suspended immediately.

“The head of the probe panel should be changed immediately and after the probe, NPA should acquire the appropriate ERP that automates its accounting processes to avoid future occurrences of issues of this sort,” he added.

According to him, the head of every organization and the board/management are jointly and severally responsible for all acts of right/wrongdoing in that organization, adding that someone must be professionally and directly responsible and every action must be geared towards achieving desired result or objective.

Headlines

IGP grieves over assault on policewoman

Prof. Zainab Duke Abiola

— orders prosecution of culprits

Owolola Adebola

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, has strongly condemned the grievous assault of a female Police Officer, Inspector Teju Moses, by her principal who is a Legal practitioner and human rights activist, Prof. Zainab Duke Abiola and her domestic staff comprising the housemaid, one Rebecca Enechido and a male suspect currently at large.

Zainab Duke, a Mbaise-born activist, grievously assaulted her orderly in the company of some accomplices on Tuesday 20th September 2022 at her residence in Garki, Abuja, due to the refusal of the orderly to breach professional ethics by carrying out menial and domestic chores at her house.

The IGP also directed the express prosecution of the arrested suspects who are currently in Police custody, as the preliminary investigation shows overwhelming evidence of culpability on the part of the Professor and her domestic staff.

The IGP has equally tasked the investigative team to ensure that the fleeing suspect is arrested and made to face the wrath of the law.

It is pertinent to clarify that the suspect, Prof. Zainab, who name-drops the IGP, his family members, and other officers in the top hierarchy of the Force has no acquaintance with the Police in any form as erroneously peddled on social media.

The Inspector-General of Police who similarly ordered the withdrawal of all Police personnel attached to the Professor expressed consternation at the fact that an individual who claims to be an advocate for Human Rights could stoop so low as to violate the rights of another individual, a police officer tasked with ensuring her protection.

Customs

Customs collects N1.7trn revenue in 8 months

CGC, Ali

–embarks on aggressive revenue hunts to meet target

The Eyewitness reporter

The Nigeria Customs Service has collected a whooping sum of N1,755,386,486,390.02 as revenue in the first eight months of the year spanning January and August.

The service made the highest monthly earnings of N241,903,781,854.46 in August as the service intensifies its aggressive revenue drive to meet the expectations of the Federal Government which has come to rely on the revenue from the service to fund its critical project.

This follows the diversification of government to non-oil sectors and expands its tax base due to the dwindling revenue from the oil sector.

The revenue in the first eight months of 2022 is N363,436,321,614.95 higher than N1,391,950,164,775.97 the customs collected in the corresponding period of 2021.

Abuja has increased its focus on non-oil revenue sources, prompting higher expectations from revenue collection agencies such as the NCS, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), among others.

Headlines

Jamoh wears OFR diadem as Buhari confers national honour on NIMASA DG

The Eyewitness reporter

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh, has expressed deep appreciation to President Mohammed Buhari for being conferred with one of the highest national honours in Nigeria, Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).

The Office of the Honourable Minister, Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator George Akume, has conveyed this good news to Dr Jamoh in a letter of Award which has slated the investiture ceremony for the International Conference Center (ICC), Abuja on Monday, 10th October 2022.

Recall that Dr. Jamoh had served the Nigerian maritime sector as an administrator for over 30 years when he was appointed by President Buhari as the NIMASA DG in March 2020.

Since that time, he has overseen the successful deployment of the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure otherwise known as the Deep Blue Project which has played a major role in achieving a reduction of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea to its barest minimum since 1994 and culminating in Nigeria being removed from the infamous piracy red list by the International Maritime Bureau, IMB.

A hallmark of his tenure at the helm of NIMASA has been his institutionalization of collaboration among stakeholders, within and outside the country, to achieve significant milestones in the sector.

One notable example of this is his initiation of the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Collaboration Forum/ Shared Awareness and De-confliction (GOG-MCF/SHADE), which has demonstrated the positive outcomes of information sharing among regional and non-regional military forces in achieving a secure maritime space.

Reacting to the news on his social media handle, Dr Jamoh expressed gratitude for being considered for the honour stating:

“Words cannot express how humbled I feel to be so considered for the National Honour as an Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR).

“When I began my maritime journey 30 years ago, little did I know that Almighty Allah would so favour me to rise to the position of NIMASA DG, let alone to be considered for one of the highest honours in the land”.

Dr Jamoh especially thanked His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, and the Standing Committee on National Honours Award for deeming him worthy of the honour while also appreciating everyone who had supported him throughout his tenure as NIMASA Director General, especially the maritime stakeholders.