Muhammed Bello-Koko, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), is facing renewed calls for his dismissal and prosecution over alleged involvement in corruption. These calls come despite previous dismissals of similar allegations by the House of Representatives committee on public petitions, which cleared him of a ₦178 billion debt accusation.
In December 2023, Bello-Koko appeared before a Senate panel of inquiry to clarify a ₦1 billion debt sum, which the Auditor General of the Federation’s report had flagged as unexplained. He also addressed concerns over $852,093,731.10 mentioned in the report, explaining that $232,354,156.43 of this amount had been recovered. Bello-Koko noted that the House Committee on Public Accounts had previously reviewed and cleared the NPA of any wrongdoing regarding these funds.
Despite these clarifications, a coalition of civil society organizations, Vanguard For New Nigeria (VNN), has written to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to sack and prosecute Bello-Koko. The VNN has cited multiple reports and allegations of corruption against Bello-Koko, including investigations by Premium Times and Sahara Reporters. These reports accuse Bello-Koko of hiding assets in offshore companies and being involved in fraud, as established by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The VNN expressed concern that these corruption scandals have deterred foreign investors from choosing Nigeria as a business destination. They criticized Bello-Koko for allegedly using political connections to avoid accountability, despite multiple invitations from the Senate.
President Tinubu now faces pressure to take decisive action in response to these allegations, balancing the need for accountability with the complexities of governance and political dynamics.
