I have not been indicted for any offense, says Bala-Usman

The suspended managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman has discredited reports making rounds in social media that she was indicted in an audit report on the NPA, which was supposedly released by the Auditor-General of the Federation.

Responding to the report, she said in a statement personally signed by her, that she has not been indicted for any offense as alleged by the report.

According to her, the false report claimed that the imaginary allegations of abuse of office, corrupt enrichment, and failure to account for billions of naira led to her purported sack.

“I state without any equivocation that I have not received any information about my purported sack from any quarters until this moment. It is apparent that realising that no credible media outlet would publish unsubstantiated claims as in the case under discussion, promoters of this falsehood adopted the social media option,” Usman said.

She said the report alleged that the Auditor-General of the Federation has issued some queries regarding monies being owed the NPA, by terminal operators are false, unfounded and a figment of the imagination being used to tarnish her name.

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“Ordinarily, the NPA should clear the air about these allegations, and for this reason, I have refused to make any comments since the news broke. However, it is becoming more apparent that tarnishing my image is the primary mission of promoters of the story,” Usman said.

Continuing, she said: “On Tuesday morning, for instance, several people sent me a social media post with the title: “NPA Audit indicts Hadiza Bala Usman for not remitting N40 billion, $921.61 million and £289.931.82 to federal government accounts. I am bold to say that this report is untrue and a fallacy from the imagination of anyone spreading falsehood,” she stated.

She however challenged anyone with proof of this allegation to present them in public, adding that the truth is that even if there are monies unremitted into the Federal Government’s accounts, these monies will remain in the Treasury Single Account (TSA) where all revenues generated by the Authority domiciles.

In addition, Usman said that the NPA will have explanations for any audit queries that may arise at any time.

She, however, appealed to all Nigerians to discountenance the falsehood, which is meant to serve the ulterior motives of the promoters of the false report.

“On a final note, I should state that I am proud of my service to the nation regardless of repeated attempts by dark elements to paint me and my service in black,” she added.