Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, has pushed back against recent claims by BUA Group suggesting that previous actions taken against the company were politically motivated during her tenure as Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
In a statement issued on Saturday, Bala Usman described the narrative advanced by BUA Chairman, Abdul Samad Rabiu, as “misleading and disingenuous,” asserting that the company had repeatedly failed to meet the terms of its concession agreement with the NPA — failures that predated her leadership at the agency.
Her comments were in response to Rabiu’s claims published in a recent article, “Two Years of President Tinubu: A Business Perspective,” in which he recounted an abrupt revocation of BUA’s port concession, describing it as a politically-driven decision without warning or justification.
“We no longer worry about arbitrary shutdowns or politically-motivated disruptions… One day, we woke up to a letter stating that the concession had been revoked,” Rabiu wrote.
Bala Usman, however, called the allegation “a blatant falsehood,” stating that BUA was issued several official warnings and default notices for failing to commence reconstruction works as agreed in its 20-year concession for Rivers Port Terminal B, signed in May 2006 and handed over in August that year.
“One of the core requirements was the full reconstruction of Berths 5–8 within 90 days of handover. Ten years later, BUA had not begun this work,” she stated.
She cited a notice of default issued to BUA on February 11, 2016 — before she assumed office — as well as earlier letters dated May 19, 2014, and February 3, 2016. A second notice was issued on August 17, 2016, under her leadership, followed by a three-month termination notice dated November 11, 2016, due to continued non-compliance.
Although BUA secured a restraining order from the Federal High Court in January 2018, which allowed it to maintain operations, Bala Usman emphasized that NPA fully complied with the ruling and did not act outside legal parameters.
“The decision to issue a termination notice was not arbitrary. It was the result of years of documented non-performance,” she said, accusing Rabiu of using political access to circumvent due process.
She also criticized the BUA chairman for referencing intervention by former President Muhammadu Buhari in the matter.
“Rather than honouring contractual obligations, Mr. Rabiu sought political intervention to override institutional accountability,” she said, warning that such practices erode public trust in public-private partnerships.
Bala Usman said sustained attempts by BUA to frame itself as a victim were attempts at media blackmail and a distraction from its contractual violations.
“If BUA truly wishes to contribute to Nigeria’s progress, it must begin by upholding agreements, investing in infrastructure, and respecting federal institutions,” she added.
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