…Likened her to Diezani of the maritime sector
The Convener and Chairman of Maritime Elders Forum, Chief Asu Beks, has accused Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, of being ‘power drunk’ during her management at the Authority prior to her suspension by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Elder Asu Beks, who is also the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Maritime Media Limited, revealed this while featuring on Liberty Television and Radio programme: ‘Dialogue’.
The elder maritime chieftain, while speaking on the controversy surrounding the alleged infractions by the erstwhile NPA MD, said the minister sacked the NPA Board after only 9 months, two months to the expiration of her first term in office, while their tenure was meant to be for 4 years, without any justification.
Elder Asu Beks also lamented the situation the maritime sector experiencing under the current leadership of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
According to the elder statesman , the minister has been unable to recognise, or carry along, the maritime media as a critical component of the maritime industry as well as focusing his attention on the railway sector above that of the maritime.
He cited the example of the Covid-19 interventions by the minister on the railway sector which wasn’t replicated in the maritime industry.
Elder Asu Becks, amongst other issues, raised his concern on the issues surrounding the application of the Cabotage Vessels Financing Fund, designed to help indigenous ship owners operate, which he said, has been fraught with irregularities in terms of disbursement under his watch.
He, however, praised the efforts of the present NIMASA D-G, who he said is doing an excellent job in redressing these anomalies.
