TheCable

The management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has denied the existence of a clone account in its name.

The port’s management was reacting to a whistleblower allegation.

In a statement on Monday, Jatto Adams (pictured), NPA general manager for corporate and strategic communications, said the whistleblower had written a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari with the allegation.

In the petition, the whistleblower, identified as John Okpurhe, accused Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation, of refusing to reward him after “exposing over $1 billion supposedly hidden in an account with Unity Bank Plc and allegedly operated by the Nigerian Ports Authority”.

“The Authority hereby states that allegations that it operates such an account are untrue,” the statement read.

“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 a total sum of $1,057,772.03 (One Million, Fifty-Seven Thousand, Seven Hundred and Seventy-Two Dollars,Three Cents) as of December 4, 2019, and not $1,034,515,000.00 (One Billion, Thirty-Four Million, Five Hundred and Fifteen Thousand United State Dollars) as alleged by the petitioner.”

Adams further explained that the account has not been in operation since August 27, 2010, due to a lawsuit where a garnishee order was placed on it in a case, which went from the federal high court to the supreme court.

The entire balance in the account was also said to have been transferred to the judgement creditor (Aminu Ibrahim & Co Anor.) on December 4, 2019, in line with the garnishee order.