Report: Buhari cancels restoration of Intels’ pilotage contract with NPA

President Muhammadu Buhari has cancelled the restoration of the boat pilotage contract for Integrated Logistics Services (Intels) by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

Intels, a logistics and facilities services provider in the maritime and oil and gas sectors, was co-founded by Gabriele Volpi, an Italian national, and Atiku Abubakar, former vice president.

The cancellation, according to THISDAY, was stated in a letter dated January 7, 2022, in clear overrule of an earlier directive given in January 2021.

Citing details of the letter, THISDAY reports that Buhari acted on the advice from Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation (AGF); director-general, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), and acting director-general, Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC).

The letter was addressed to the AGF and the minister of transportation and signed by Ibrahim Gambari, chief of staff to the president.

According to the letter, Buhari directed that the procurement process initiated by the procuring entity, NPA, that was submitted to the federal ministry of transportation be forwarded immediately to the BPP for action.

“The president has also directed that upon receipt of the No-objection approval from the BPP, a memorandum be presented by the Ministry of Transportation to the Federal Executive Council for consideration, that the Ministry of Transportation should ensure that the process is concluded within 60 days of the president’s directive to avoid further loss of revenue by the federal government,” the letter reads.

“That NPA should ensure that the sanctity of the agreements with respect to Onne 4 (Berths 9, 10 & 11) be maintained, as there is no subsisting contract with Intels for their utilisation.”

Buhari further directed the AGF to ensure the quick determination of the cases in court.

In November, Malami had written to the president after a review of submissions by the NPA and Intels.

He stated that the NPA neither suspended nor terminated any of its contracts with Intels, “which therefore obviates the need for any restoration”.

This development is seen as a vindication for Hadiza Bala Usman, the suspended managing director of the NPA.

Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, had claimed that a presidential directive informed Bala Usman to renew the Intel contract and that she failed to honour it — a claim Bala Usman denied.

Buhari had approved Usman’s suspension on May 5 following a recommendation by Amaechi.

Usman was initially accused of failing to remit the operating surplus of NPA to the consolidated revenue fund (CFR) — an allegation she also denied.

Amaechi already inaugurated an 11-member investigative panel to probe NPA over all contracts awarded since 2016 when Usman became managing director.

TheCable had exclusively reported that the administrative panel set up by Amaechi was mandated to focus on “insubordination”.