Group pass vote of no confidence in NPA MD

By Abubakar Yunusa

A group of civil society organizations, Vanguard For New Nigeria (VNN) has passed a vote of no confidence in the Managing Director, Nigerian Port Authority, Mohammed Bello Koko.

This was as they wrote to President, Bola Tinubu, urging him to find a more efficient MD for the organization.

The group also bemoaned the spate of corruption in NPA, stressing that despite several reports indicting the NPA boss, and several invitations extended to him by the Senate which he did not honour, he has allegedly continued to enjoy political cover, shielding him from sack, arrest and prosecution.

“According to premium Times investigation, Bello Koko “is involved in offshore shenanigans, hiding behind two shell companies incorporated in a tax and secrecy heaven to anonymously invest in the United Kingdom protect market, potentially violating Nigeria’s public service code of conduct laws .”

“Again in November 27th 2022, Sahara Reporters also published an investigative report released by the Economic and financial crime commission in which the EFCC have established a case of fraud against Bello Koko. According to the report, the MD of the Nigeria ports authority was indicted “of being involved N829 Million fraud through kickbacks and money laundering activities.

“The EFCC investigation report which was exclusively obtained by Sahara Reporters in April of last year revealed that Koko after being investigated was found to have received monies worth over N800 Million from NPA contractors

“According to the former Executive Director of the United Nations office on Drugs and Crime Mr Yury Fedotov, “Corruption is a global phenomenon and evidence shows that it harms developing countries by stifling economic growth and often leads to diversion of desperately needed foreign Direct Investments (FDI) to other countries that are considered less corrupt.”