The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has dismissed reports that a cloned account was purportedly being operated by its retired staff to siphon funds from government accounts.
The rebuttal came on the heels of news linked to an alleged whistleblower, identified as John Okupurhe, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to pay him his reward after exposing over $1bn hidden in Unity Bank Plc allegedly being operated by NPA.
But in a swift reaction to the allegation, the NPA, in a statement signed by its General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Jatto Adams, said, “The Authority hereby states that allegations that it operates such an account is untrue. Mr. Okpurhe, claiming to be a whistleblower cited an account number: 0013680344 allegedly being operated by NPA but this account does not exist as evidenced by a letter from Unity Bank Plc.”
“The NPA operates an account with Unity Bank Plc with account number: 0013670344 with $1.057 million as of December 4, 2019 and not $1.034 billion as alleged by the petitioner.
“However, the NPA account has not been in operation since August 27, 2010 due to a Suit No: FHC/L/CS/582/2010 GARNISHEE ORDER NISI in AMINU IBRAHIM & CO & ANOR. VS. NIGERIAN PORTS AUTHORITY where a garnishee order was placed on it following a case, which went from the Federal High Court to the Supreme Court over a period of eight years.
“Upon the determination of the case at the Supreme Court, the judgment creditors continued with the Garnishee process which resulted in the credit of the amount $1,057m, in favour of Suit No: FHC/L/CS/582/2010 GARNISHEE ORDER NISI- AMINU IBRAHIM & CO & ANOR. VS. NIGERIAN PORTS AUTHORITY on December 4th 2019 in line with the Garnishee Order absolute.
“It is therefore obvious that there is no cloned account as speculated in the alleged whistle blowing effort of Mr. Okpurhe”, the spokesperson insisted.
