NPA Debunks Multi-Billion Naira Corruption Allegation, Says Dantsoho-Led Mgt Is Deepening Port Competitiveness

Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority has dismissed allegation of an ongoing multi-billion naira corruption within the Agency as “spurious” and an attempt to “distract”. 

A statement signed by the General Manager, Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr Ikechukwu Onyemekara and made available to the media reads thus;

“The attention of the Nigerian Ports Authority has been drawn to spurious allegations about a multi-billion naira corruption going on in the Authority in some online publications. In line with the dictates of probity, the Authority states without equivocation that these allegations are false and without any credibility. The Management of the NPA wishes to clarify all the issues raised as follows:

1. The budget and expenditure of the NPA are subject to the strict supervision of the Ministry of Marine & Blue Economy, the Budget Office of the Federation as well as the comprehensive oversight of the National Assembly and this makes the allegation of misapplication of budgetary provisions impossible.
2. The reference being made to emergency dredging works at the Warri Escravos channel followed laid down procurement processes and procedure, as emergency procurement is countenanced under the public procurement act. The emergency dredging of Warri which is the hub of Nigeria's Oil and Gas Operations was necessitated by the increasing siltation of the channel and to forestall the international embarrassment and huge investment losses that occur when shipping vessels run aground.
3. The procurement of Marine crafts such as tugboats and pilot cutters were undertaken in prompt response to the exigency of ensuring national energy security through the implementation of sale of Crude oil in Naira to domestic refiners which involved intensive offshore operations.
4. The allegation of documents being withheld "for over a year" is untenable, as the extant civil service guidelines governing the timeline for processing of official documents makes it impossible.
5. Allegations made in connection with expenditures at the Authority's London office are outrightly false as there are no such dealings or transactions as speculated in the report.
6. The marked increase in revenue figures for 2024 were due to exchange rate gains, since the Authority's revenues are denominated in FOREX in line with global maritime best practice.
7. Employee promotions and the appointments of Asst General Managers & General Managers which were undertaken to address age long issues of stagnation were with the approval of the Honorable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy and provisions of the Authority's duly approved conditions of service.
8. Revocations or otherwise of third-party contractual agreements of the Authority are undertaken in line with the law as stated in the contract agreements themselves.
9. The allegation of "staff morale being at rock bottom" falls flat in the face of reality, as the current Management has to its credit the clearing of all outstanding issues of employee stagnation with the combined conduct of promotion examinations in 2024 to the commendation of the two in-house labour unions.
10. To sustainably assure the competitiveness of Nigerian Ports and grow vessel and cargo throughput, the Authority recently secured Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval for the commencement of the Port Modernization Programme.
11. The Management of the Authority wishes to advice all media organisations to seek clarification of their reports from the Authority, whose doors are open to constructive engagements and clarifications where necessary.
12. The Abubakar Dantsoho-led Management of the Authority remains unwavering and will not succumb to any form of distractions  in its commitment to deepening the competitiveness of Nigerian Ports through infrastructure and equipment renewal which has commenced as well through process automation through the Port Community System (PCS) which the NPA has propelled to conclusive stages in readiness for the plug-in of relevant stakeholders as the implementation of the National Single Window (NSW) project of the Federal Government gains momentum.

 We solicit the support of all Nigerians in this direction.”