Garba Shehu, former presidential spokesperson, has revealed that the late former President Muhammadu Buhari approved the removal of Hadiza Bala Usman as managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in 2021, despite their close personal relationship.
Shehu said the decision followed a recommendation by the then Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who raised allegations of financial impropriety against Bala Usman.
Shehu made the disclosure on Thursday in Abuja while speaking about his new book, According to the President, which chronicles Buhari’s leadership style, policy priorities and decision-making process. According to him, Buhari acted on Amaechi’s formal request to suspend Bala Usman, even though she enjoyed the President’s trust and affection.
“See what happened with Hadiza Bala Usman and Governor Amaechi,” Shehu said. “Hadiza was to Buhari like a daughter. She had an ongoing disagreement with the minister, and the minister wrote to say, ‘Mr President, I recommend that she should be suspended from office.’”
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Bala Usman was removed as NPA managing director in May 2021 after the transportation ministry accused the authority, under her leadership, of failing to remit about ₦165 billion in operating surplus to the Federal Government. The NPA was among several agencies supervised by Amaechi during his eight-year tenure as minister from 2015 to 2022.
Following her suspension, Buhari approved the establishment of an administrative panel of inquiry to investigate allegations of financial mismanagement against Bala Usman and other senior officials of the authority. The panel later cleared her of wrongdoing, a development that reignited public debate over the circumstances surrounding her removal.
Bala Usman, who now serves as special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy and coordination, has since offered her own account of the events leading to her suspension. In her book, Stepping on Toes: My Odyssey at the Nigerian Ports Authority, she said her conflict with Amaechi stemmed from disagreements over major contracts at the NPA.
According to her, two key contracts, particularly those related to capital dredging, were due for renewal at the time. She alleged that the former minister pushed for the extension of the contracts for existing service providers without due process.
She accused Amaechi of insisting on tenure extensions for the companies involved, a demand she said she resisted in line with procurement rules and transparency standards. Amaechi has consistently denied the allegations, maintaining that Bala Usman’s suspension was based strictly on concerns over financial accountability and governance at the ports authority.
Shehu’s account adds a new layer to the long-running controversy, suggesting that Buhari’s decision was driven by institutional procedure rather than personal loyalty. According to the former presidential aide, the episode illustrated Buhari’s willingness to act on ministerial recommendations, even when they involved individuals close to him.
According to the President, Shehu’s new book, offers insider perspectives on key policy decisions and internal disagreements within Buhari’s administration, shedding light on how power, trust and accountability intersected at the highest levels of government.
