By Tosin Olatokunbo
Intels, the flagship business of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been hit again, three years after the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA stopped the near monopoly enjoyed by the firm in the oil and gas sector.
Two days ago the apex maritime regulator terminated a boat operation contract being handled by Intels Nigeria Limited, INL.
The multi-billion naira oil servicing company, is jointly owned by Atiku with an Italian business man, Gabriele Volpi and has enjoyed government patronage for years, until Buhari came into office in 2015 and things began to go bad for the firm.
In a marine notice dated September 1, the Lagos Pilotage District, LPD of the NPA said its boat service contract with Intels has been cancelled.
The maritime Regulator after terminating the contract directs that “Every Service Boat movement must be reported and booked at the office of the Harbour Master of the District, where Pilotage Chits and Master Declaration Forms will be issued and returned after every movement.”
“Every enquiry on Service Boat movement should be directed to the office of the Port Manager of the Ports/Harbour Master, Pilotage District.”
Atiku Abubakar has been having it rough with the federal government since the administration came on board in 2015.
Apart from constant attacks from top government officials, business interests of the former number two man have also not escaped the preying eyes of the administration, a situation many blame on Atiku’s political ambition.
The ex-vice president contested the presidency with Buhari in 2015 and lost.The Turaki Adamawa, as Atiku is well known, is still believe to be nursing the ambition to hold the country’s highest office in 2023, when the tenure of the incumbent expires.
This may have set him against powerful forces in Buhari’s government, particularly those eyeing the presidency, and other politicians working for aspiring presidential candidates, who are intimidated by Atiku’s reach and credentials.
For instance, is Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state, an influential figure in the All Progressive Congress, APC controlled feedral government, who has debunked his rumoured interest in the presidency.
El-rufai is instrumental to the emergence of Hadiza Bala Usman as Managing Director of NPA, and is believed to be working for Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi to clinch the top job in 2023, when Buhari is expected to leave office.
But the Agency has refuted claims that its actions are political, even when close watchers of events believe otherwise.
“By attacking Atiku’s interest, they are warning him to drop his ambition to become president. The hand writing on the wall is clear enough. The attackers are targeting his business interests, to reduce his war chest to contest any future election,” an analyst told the magazine on Friday.
He said the former vice president is not unaware of what “his traducers are trying to do, but he’s an experienced politician who will decide what to do at the appropriate time.”
In 2017, the federal government withdrew the monopolistic contract awarded to Intels to handle oil and gas cargoes in the country.
The same year, the Attorney General of the federation and Minster of Justice, Abubakar Malami, in a letter to Bala-Usman, directed her to terminate the boats pilotage monitoring and supervision agreement that the agency had with Intels.
The minster has argued that the contract was illegal and in contravention of the implementation of the Treasury Single Account, TSA policy of government, thus terminating the 17 year contract enjoyed by Intels.
NPA has gone ahead to terminate other contracts with Intels after then.
Meanwhile, the former vice president has criticised the recent increased in electricity tariff by the federal government, insisting that the action will bring untold hardship to Nigerians.
“I reject the increased electricity tariffs. Coming out of the lockdown, Nigerians need a stimulus, not an impetuous disregard for the challenges they face. Many Nigerians have not earned an income for months, due to no fault of theirs. This increase is ill-timed and ill-advised, Mr Abubakar posted,” Atiku said.
