2023: Amaechi romances Atiku for Vice-Presidential ticket, wants Atiku’s INTELS/NPA deal restored — PSN exclusive

..”Amaechi, a former member of PDP and one-time governor of Rivers State’s desperate quest for the actualisation of a long-standing political ambition, may be responsible for the preference of the restoration of all business relationships between the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Integrated Logistics Nigeria Limited (INTELS)”

 

“Working for the restoration of INTELS contracts, the minister may have been killing two birds with one stone by building a financial war chest and worming himself back into the heart of Atiku Abubakar, who still aspires to contest for the presidency in 2023 and may be disposed to considering Ameachi as running mate, all things being equal”

 

 

 

The lid of the political undercurrent and realignment of forces ahead of the 2023 presidential race by the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has been blown open.

Sources told Per Second News over the weekend that by working for the restoration of INTELS contracts, the minister may have been killing two birds with one stone by building a financial war chest and worming himself back into the heart of Atiku Abubakar, who still aspires to contest for the presidency in 2023 and may be disposed to considering Ameachi as running mate, all things being equal.

 
Sources told Persecondnews that a recent announcement by Atiku’s divestment from INTELS, was an attempt to hoodwink Nigerians.

 

 “I can bet that he is still involved in the company. This was only a gimmick coming from the belief that government wanted to ruin his business interests, but all NPA wanted was just compliance with the laws. 

 

“Why art there not problems on their other businesses for instance. The boat pilotage brings in a lot of money, but the contract has expired after a 15-year period, they were allowed to participate in the tenders, got disqualified for flouting the rules but the minister does not seem to want to hear that. ” 

 

PSN recalls that Amaechi while inaugurating the administrative panel set up to probe the management of the NPA  penultimate week, had urged the panel to “examine and investigate Issues leading to the termination of pilotage and other contracts of Nigerian Ports Authority and confirm compliance with the terms of the respective contracts, court rulings and Presidential directives.”

Before the inauguration of the panel, the Managing Director of the NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman was suspended after Amaechi secured a mid-night approval from Buhari to pave way for the investigation. 

 

Credible sources who are abreast of the undercurrents between the minister and the NPA maintained that the main concern of the minister is the multi-million-dollar pilotage contract, which INTELS executed for the NPA since 2005.

However, the relationship was punctuated by numerous altercations since the Hadiza Bala Usman management took over affairs at the NPA in 2016 until it came to a terminal end in August 2020. 

Disagreements between the two parties centred mainly on claims by the NPA that the company failed to comply with Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy of the government. 

 

There was also the NPA’s decision to break the monopoly of INTELS as the only oil and gas terminal in the country, a decision, which is believed to have been applauded by operators in the sector.

Per Second News learnt that the Minister had, following a Presidential approval sometime earlier this year, requested the restoration of all contracts between the NPA and INTELS, which were hitherto suspended or terminated by the NPA.

 

The agency was also directed to withdraw all court cases involving both parties. Bala Usman was said to have escalated the issue to President Muhammadu Buhari, providing more facts and insisting that the pilotage contract was not terminated but had expired by effluxion of time which inspired the latter to seek the advice of the Attorney General of the Federation.

 

 Although sources close to the minister suggested that his main grouse resulted from Ms Bala Usman’s presentation of superior facts to the Presidency without his knowledge or approval.

It was also gathered that Bala Usman’s intransigence is putting a stumbling block in Amaechi’s way towards the 2023 ambition which may include the possibility of leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) if the party becomes too difficult to handle given the fact that Buhari would no longer be standing for elections and will make the contest a free- for- all. 

 

”This will not be too good for Ameachi who is not well liked by most party stalwarts including state governors and the leadership of the National Assembly, a Southwest APC leader said.


“The calculation is that even the PDP will implode given the controversy surrounding Atiku’s candidacy and the opposition from within the party led by  people like Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike.

 

“Then that popular saying that ‘my enemy’s enemy is my friend’ philosophy will come into play and Atiku and Ameachi may emerge in a calculation that is bound to shock many Nigerians,” another party bigwig said.

 

Again, the Minister is also believed to be taking advantage of his business relationship with the Chinese Government through the instrumentality of his office leveraging on the ongoing multi-billion dollar rail projects for his  2023 ambition, a party stalwart told PSN.