Presidency probes NPA, suspends Hadiza Bala Usman as MD
…Appoints Koko acting MD
By Seun Ibiyemi
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the suspension of Hadiza Bala Usman as the managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Buhari also approved the appointment of Executive Director of Finance Mohammed Koko to take over while “the investigation is carried out.”
Koko hails from Kebbi State.
The suspension Is contained in a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Malam Garba Shehu.
According to Shehu, the suspension followed a recommendation by the Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi, to set up an administrative panel of inquiry to investigate the management of the NPA.
The suspension took place barely four months after the presidency announced her reappointment for another five years, effective from March 1, 2021.
The panel is to be headed by the Director of Maritime Services in the ministry while the Deputy Director of Legal in the same ministry will serve as secretary.
Other members of the panel will be appointed by the minister.
Industry sources alleged that Bala Usman has been at loggerheads with Amaechi as the Minister of Transportation for not taking directives from him.
Amaechi according to sources had allegedly left the NPA under the supervision of the Minister of State for Transportation Ms Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki to avoid having conflict with the power block of the North and particularly the Governor of Kaduna State Malam Nasir El-Rufai that sponsored Hadiza Bala Usman for the NPA top job.
In 2014, she co-founded the Bring Back Our Girls campaign to advocate the rescue of abducted Chibok schoolgirls.
Bala Usman is also a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
NPA recently launched Etó, an electronic truck call-up system, aimed at tackling the perennial logjam caused by articulated trucks within the Apapa ports corridor.
Usman had told journalists that she was aware of her suspension, but yet to receive any formal communication to that effect from the Ministry of Transport.
Mohammed Bello-Koko was born on the 25th March 1969 in Koko-Besse Local Government area of Kebbi State.
He attended the Federal Government College, Sokoto for his Secondary education in 1986 before proceeding to the University of Sokoto for his first degree in Management Studies (B.Sc) in 1992. Mohammed continued at the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto for his Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) in 1995.
Recall that Buhari had approved the reappointment of Hadiza Bala Usman as the Managing Director of the NPA for another term of 5 years.
This follows the expiration of the tenure of Usman, who was first appointed as the Managing Director on July 12, 2016.
PROFILE OF KOKO
Mohammed Bello-Koko was born on the 25th March 1969 in Koko-Besse Local Government area of Kebbi State. He attended the Federal Government Collage, Sokoto for his Secondary education in 1986 before proceeding to the University of Sokoto for his first degree in Management Studies (B.Sc) in 1992. Mohammed continued at the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto for his Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) in 1995.
Mohammed Bello-Koko started his career with FSB International Bank Plc, Port Harcourt from 1996 to 2004 as Executive Trainee-Banking Operations. He rose to several positions amongst which are Banking Officer-Credit and later Senior Banking Officer-Senior Treasury Officer, Senior Banking Officer-Energy Sector (ENSEC) in charge of managing various oil & gas related multinational accounts and sub-contractors.
He was Assistant Manager (Credit & Marketing) where he was Head, branch credit risk analyst, and later became Deputy Manager-Branch Manager/Marketing in charge of initiating, processing and monitoring of good quality risk assets, management of existing accounts and providing leadership Training.
He then joined Zenith Bank Plc in 2005 as a Manager-Team Head, Public Sector and Large Corporate. There again he rose to the positions of:
Senior Manager- Head Public sector Group, where he supervised all the public sector teams in order to grow public sector business in the Rivers State.
Assistant General Manager/Zonal Head where he was Group Head for Public Sector and Zonal head in-charge of Branches under one of Rivers/Bayelsa Zones.
Deputy General Manager and Zonal Head which made him a member of the Bank’s Executive Management team, a position he held since 2013 until he proceeded on leave of absence in 2015 before his appointment as Executive Director Finance of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
As a result of his leadership and contributions to the bank, his branches received several awards amongst which are:
- a) 2nd most Profitable Branch
- b) Most profitable Branch Bank wide July 2015
- c) The Best Group OGR and Taxes Collection Bank-wide in 2012
- d) Best Branch in Deposit Mobilization (South-South) since 2009
- e) Best Revenue Generation (South-South) since 2009
At various times between 2009-2015, Mohammed Bello-Koko was also named the Best Staff in Income (Revenue) Deposit Mobilization (S-S) from 2009-2015. Bello-Koko is a member of Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) and the Institute of Strategic Management, Nigeria (ISMN). He has attended various causes at renowned International Institution and Training Centers.
