The House of Representatives has taken decisive action by summoning key government officials over allegations of fraudulent concession of port infrastructure.
Ministers of Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, and his transportation counterpart, Saidu Alkali, are among those called to explain their roles in the process.
In addition to the ministers, other officials summoned include Mohammed Bello Koko, Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority, Mamman Ahmadu, Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprise, and Micheal Ohiani, Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission.
The summons was issued by Ibrahim Hamisu, Chairman of the House Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, during a meeting with seaport terminal operators in Abuja. Hamisu expressed dismay at the absence of top government officials and raised concerns about the alleged shady manner in which the concession process was managed.
According to Hamisu, the committee is determined to address the issue promptly to prevent further loss of revenue to the Federal Government.
He emphasized the importance of attracting investments into critical port infrastructure, stating that stakeholders must work together to find solutions.
The affected seaport terminals, including Port and Cargo Terminal, ENL Consortium Terminal C, ENL Consortium Terminal D, Josepdam Terminal, and AMS Terminal, have reportedly been operating without renewal of their concession agreements since 2021. This has prompted the committee to investigate and hold those responsible accountable.
In his ruling, Hamisu insisted that the summoned officials must appear before the committee on March 12 without fail.
The committee aims to thoroughly examine the situation, identify the root cause of the problem, and take appropriate action to address it.
