BUA vs.NPA: Hadiza Bala Usman Blasts Abdul Samad Rabiu, Alleges Contractual Violations and Misinformation of Former President

Abuja, Nigeria – A public spat has erupted between former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, and Chairman of BUA Group, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu, following an interview where Rabiu accused an unnamed former NPA MD (later identified as Usman) of revoking BUA’s concession and shutting down its terminal to favor a friend.

In a scathing rebuttal issued today, Hadiza Bala Usman vehemently refuted Rabiu’s claims, labeling his narration of events as “shameful” and asserting that BUA Group has “persistently violated its contractual obligations to Nigeria.” She further accused Rabiu of misinforming former President Muhammadu Buhari to reverse a lawful NPA decision.

The controversy stems from an article published by Abdul Samad Rabiu on Thursday, May 29, 2025, titled “Two years of President Tinubu: A business perspective.” While commending the current administration, Rabiu recounted an incident where BUA’s Port Harcourt operations at Rivers Ports were allegedly shut down without warning, attributing it to the then-NPA MD’s desire to “impress her friend” whose operations were competing with BUA’s.

“We woke up to a letter stating that the concession had been revoked, the terminal shut down, and the lease agreement terminated. There was no warning, no issue, no conflict,” Rabiu wrote, adding, “Later, we discovered that the Managing Director of NPA at the time decided to close the business simply because our operations were competing with those of her friend. She wanted to impress her friend. That was the only reason…”

Hadiza Bala Usman, widely understood to be the unnamed MD, wasted no time in providing a detailed account that directly contradicts Rabiu’s narrative. She stated that BUA Group received “numerous notifications and warnings about its negligence of contractual responsibilities,” with some of these warnings predating her appointment as managing director.

According to Usman, BUA Ports and Terminal Limited became concessionaires of Rivers Port Terminal B for a 20-year tenure on May 11, 2006, with the facility handed over on August 10, 2006. A key term of the agreement required BUA to commence full reconstruction of Berths 5-8 within 90 days of handover.

Usman revealed that ten years after taking possession, BUA had not commenced the required rehabilitation. A notice of default was first issued on February 11, 2016, before her tenure began. This letter, titled “Non-compliance with the reconstruction of Berths 5-8 in line with your terminal development plan as contained in your lease agreement,” specifically referenced earlier letters from May 19, 2014, and February 3, 2016.

“Despite receiving the letter, dated 11 February 2016, from NPA, the company refused to honour this fundamental and material term of the lease agreement, which compromised the integrity of the other adjoining berths in the ports,” Usman asserted.

She further detailed that under her leadership, another notice of default was issued on August 17, 2016. When BUA still failed to comply, a three-month termination notice was served on November 11, 2016, referencing the multiple default notices.

Usman stated that BUA Ports and Terminal subsequently obtained a restraining order from the Federal High Court, Lagos, on January 18, 2018, which barred the NPA from giving effect to the termination. In compliance, the NPA allowed BUA “full access to the premises for peaceful operation, without any interference whatsoever.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Emphasizing the timeline, Usman highlighted that the default notices to BUA commenced in February 2016, prior to her assuming the role of managing director. She maintained that her subsequent actions were aimed at “safeguard[ing] the sanctity of the agreement and protect[ing] the Federal Government of Nigeria from a defaulting concessionaire.”

In a pointed accusation, Usman claimed that Abdul Samad Rabiu “abused this access to misinform the former president into reversing NPA’s decision, thereby issuing a directive that contradicted the existing contract and negating the country’s interests,” while flaunting his access to former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Usman concluded by urging BUA Group and its chairman to “refrain from cheap blackmail and commit to making the company a responsible corporate body that will make the country proud.”

This public exchange brings to light a long-standing dispute between the NPA and BUA Group, with both parties presenting vastly different accounts of the events leading to the alleged terminal shutdown and concession revocation. The accusations of contractual violations and political interference are likely to draw significant attention as details continue to unfold.