Buhari Retains Bala Usman as NPA Managing Director

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, has been given another chance to steer the ship of the agency for another term of five years.

This followed the approval of her reappointment by President Muhammadu Buhari, who may have been impressed with the handling of the NPA by the Kaduna State-born politician.

On Thursday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, disclosed that the board of the NPA has been reconstituted with the appointment of non-executive members.

This has placed Mr Emmanuel Olajide Adesoye from South-West region of the country as the Chairman of the agency, while five persons have been appointed as members of the board.

The members are Mr Ekenyem Nwafor-Orizu from the South-East, Mr Akinwunmi Ricketts from the South-South, Mr Ghazali Mohammed Mijinyawa from the North-East, Mr Mustapha Amin Dutse from the North-West, and Mr Abdulwahab Adesina from the North-Central.

Ms Bala Usman, member of the ruling All Progressives Congress born on January 2, 1976, was first appointed as the MD of the NPA in 2016 by Mr Buhari.

Before her appointment, the Business Administration graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Kaduna State was the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kaduna State, Mr Nasir El-Rufai.

Meanwhile, President Buhari has also approved the appointment of board members for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

In the same statement issued by Mr Adesina today, it was disclosed that Mr Muhammad K. Ahmad was picked as the Chairman of the board, which will “oversee the selection of a new Managing Director for the organisation.”

Members of the board approved by the President include Mr Henry Okolo, Imamudden Talba, Ambassador Usman Sarki, Ali Haruna, Engr. Simeone Atakulu, Zubaida Mahey Rasheed, Dr Mustapha Abiodun Akinkunmi, Engr. Oladele Amoda, and Dr Nkiru Balonwu.

Other members of the TCN board are representatives of the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Ministry of Power, Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE), FGN Power Company Limited, and executive management of TCN.