▪︎ Targets INTELS/NPA deal to secure running mate slot
Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi has been implicated in a desperate quest for the actualisation of a long-standing political ambition to become a factor in the Presidency in 2023.
According to a report by Per Second News, PSN, this desperation may have been largely responsible for the Minister’s preference to restore all business relationships between the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Integrated Logistics Nigeria Limited (INTELS).
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Quoting sources familiar with the development, PSN, reported that by working for the restoration of INTELS contracts, the minister might have been deft in moving to kill two birds with a stone by building a financial war chest and worming himself back into the heart of former President Atiku Abubakar, who, as reported, “still aspires to contest for the presidency in 2023 and may be disposed to consider Ameachi as running mate, all things being equal.”
The report said: “It is curious that the Minister who was President Buhari’s two-time campaign Director General is now the main promoter of INTELS a company owned by Atiku Abubakar a PDP party stalwart.
When reminded that Atiku recently announced his divestment from INTELS, PSN, reported that sources said this was an attempt to hoodwink Nigerians.
“I can bet that he is still involved in the company. This was only a gimmick coming from the belief that government wanted to ruin his business interests, but all NPA wanted was just compliance with the laws.
“Why aren’t there problems in their other businesses for instance. The boat pilotage brings in a lot of money, but the contract has expired after a 15-year period; they were allowed to participate in the tenders, got disqualified for flouting the rules but the minister does not seem to want to hear that ” sources familiar with the matter were quoted to have said on Friday.
Recall that while inaugurating the administrative panel set up to probe the management of the NPA penultimate week, Ameachi had urged the panel to “examine and investigate issues leading to the termination of pilotage and other contracts of Nigerian Ports Authority and confirm compliance with the terms of the respective contracts, court rulings and Presidential directives.”
Before the inauguration of the panel, Managing Director of the NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman was asked to proceed on suspension to pave the way for the investigation.
Multiple Sources in the know of the undercurrents between the minister and the NPA maintained that the main concern of the minister was the multi-million-dollar pilotage contract, which INTELS executed for the NPA since 2005.
The relationship was punctuated by numerous altercations since the Hadiza Bala Usman management took over affairs at the NPA in 2016 until it came to a terminus in August 2020.
Disagreements between the two parties centred mainly on claims by the NPA that the company failed to comply with Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy of the government.
There was also the NPA’s decision to break the monopoly of INTELS as the only oil and gas terminal in the country, a decision, which is believed to have been applauded by operators in the sector.
PSN further reported that the Minister had, following a Presidential approval sometime earlier this year, requested the restoration of all contracts between the NPA and INTELS, which were hitherto suspended or terminated by the NPA.
The agency was also directed to withdraw all court cases involving both parties.
Bala Usman was said to have escalated the issue to President Muhammadu Buhari, providing more facts and insisting that the pilotage contract was not terminated but had expired by effluxion of time. which inspired the latter to seek the advice of the Attorney General of the Federation.
Sources close to the minister, were reported to have suggested that his main anger resulted from Ms Bala Usman’s presentation of superior facts to the presidency without his knowledge or approval,
It was also gathered that the key thing was that Bala Usman was in the way of the plan to prepare the grounds for the 2023 ambition, which might include the possibility of leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) if the party becomes too difficult to handle given the fact that Buhari would no longer be standing for elections, which would make the contest a free- for- all.
”This will not be too good for Ameachi who is not well liked by most party stalwarts including state governors and the leadership of the national assembly, a south west APC leader said.
“The calculation is that even the PDP will implode given the controversy surrounding Atiku’s candidacy and the opposition of people like Governor Nyesom Wike to it. Then, that popular my enemy’s enemy is my friend philosophy will come in and Atiku and Ameachi may emerge in a calculation that is bound to shock many Nigerians,” a party chieftain was quoted to have said.
He reportedly said that the minister might also benefit from his relationship with the Chinese in the preparation for “this almighty 2023 ambition.”
Meanwhile, the former Vice president and PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar arrived in the country on Friday after spending several months in Dubai.
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