BUA Group has issued a detailed statement accusing former Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman, of multiple abuses of office during her tenure, including flouting contractual obligations, disregarding court orders, and ignoring arbitration processes in the management of Terminal B at Rivers Port, Port Harcourt.
The controversy reignited after Ms. Usman recently accused BUA Group and its Chairman, Abdul Samad Rabiu, of breaching a concession agreement. BUA responded by outlining the facts behind the dispute, clarifying that the company entered a valid long lease agreement with the NPA in 2006 to rehabilitate and operate Terminal B. According to BUA, prior to Usman’s appointment, the company was already in discussions with the NPA to address outstanding remedial works and infrastructure deficiencies.
Upon taking office, Ms. Usman allegedly ignored BUA’s requests and obligations under the agreement. In 2016, BUA notified the NPA of environmental and safety concerns as required by the lease. Instead of resolving the issues, Usman reportedly used this as a pretext to terminate the lease and shut down the terminal without warning, consultation, or invoking the contract’s dispute resolution clause.
BUA further alleged that the NPA, under Usman, failed to fulfill its own obligations, including handing over critical parts of the port, dredging, repairing quay walls, and providing security—failures that hampered BUA’s operations. After the abrupt termination, BUA secured a court injunction against the NPA and the matter was referred to arbitration, as stipulated in the agreement. Despite this, Usman allegedly proceeded to decommission the berths, violating both the contract and the court order.
The company claims that even after BUA provided all required guarantees and indemnities and briefly resumed operations, Usman ordered another shutdown within three weeks, causing estimated losses of over $10 million. BUA says it withdrew contempt proceedings out of respect for national interest and following interventions by well-meaning Nigerians.
BUA also refuted Usman’s claim that former President Muhammadu Buhari was “misinformed” when he reversed her actions. The company detailed that Buhari, after a thorough legal review by the Attorney General’s office, found the termination unlawful and ordered the reversal, which preserved over 4,000 jobs and protected BUA’s $500 million investment cluster.
Since Usman’s removal, BUA reports that the NPA has restored due process, allowing the company to resume reconstruction at Terminal B, with over $65 million invested and completion expected by early 2026.
BUA warned that such actions, if left unchecked, would undermine investor confidence and the rule of law in Nigeria. The group called for public office holders to act with integrity and respect for contracts, court orders, and due process, emphasizing that investor confidence and economic stability depend on these principles.
BUA concluded by challenging Ms. Usman to publicly cite any contract clause that authorized her actions, insisting that the facts remain on public record and urging her to focus on her current responsibilities under the Tinubu administration.
