Alleged Fraud: Northern youths demand investigation, sack of NPA Acting MD

The Northern Youths Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has demanded the investigation and sack of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) Acting Managing Director (MD), Mohammed Bello-Koko, for his alleged role in the reported mismanagement of funds at the Federal Government agency.

The group, in a statement on Saturday, signed by its president, Comrade Isah Abubakar, said there was need for a thorough investigated of Bello-Koko over his alleged role in the allegations of mismanagement of funds and short remittance of generated revenue of the agency which lead to suspension of former MD, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman.

The statement reads, “The then MD couldn’t have been able to dip her hands in the national treasury without the active connivance of the Executive Director in charge of finance.

“Anything short of investigation of the acting MD will make Nigerians believe that the probe on NPA is aimed at witch hunting Ms Hadiza, while shielding Bello-Koko and that will only make a fool of the anticorruption crusade of the federal government.”

NYCN maintained that the inability of Mr Bello-Koko to eat the humble pie and resign or be sacked by the Federal Government would force the NYCN to commence mass mobilisation of its members and other concerned Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to ensure that it happens.

“Nigerians can’t continue to live in poverty while corrupt public servants are buying properties they don’t need in other countries,” he said.

Meanwhile, the NYCN leadership commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his unrelenting efforts in ensuring that corruption is totally eliminated in Nigeria, including blockage of all revenue leakages in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

“With the presentation of 2022 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly, the Federal Government needs to beam its search light on major revenue generation MDAs, with special focus on Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) considering the recent indictment of the acting MD by the team behind the Pandora Papers,” the Northern Youths said.

(Sunday Independent)