Navy Counters NCAT’s Allegation of Violation of Public Rules

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Nigerian Navy, Monday, countered allegations of corruption levelled against the Nigerian Navy Holdings Limited by the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT).
It said the NHL was not involved in any contract award as a new management took charge of the organisation two months ago.
A statement signed by the Group Public Relations Officer of the Navy Holdings Limited, Commander Blessed Nuhu, said the management was only interested in renegotiating contracts that expired.
“To set the records straight, a new management resumed at NHL about two months ago, and since then no contracts have been awarded to anyone by the new management.
“The management is only in the process of renegotiating contracts that have expired. Consequently, developers whose contracts have expired were stopped from working while renegotiations are ongoing”, it said.
The group, NACAT, had called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to investigate the Executive Director, Operations, Navy Holdings Ltd, Commodore Martins Aligwe, over alleged violation of public rules and abuse of office.
The group also called on naval authorities to launch a probe into the matter.
The Navy statement stated that the company was fully guided by Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020.
“It is pertinent to state that NHL is a registered company with the Corporate Affairs Commission. The operations of NHL is fully guided by the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 and other regulatory provisions.
“The group managing director/chief executive officer is responsible to a board of directors for the implementation of policies and decisions of the board.
“In that case, no director or any individual has the authority over award of contracts without the approval of the board”, it said.
The group also alleged that Aligwe was using his office to award contracts to himself through private companies that he incorporated solely as a medium of perpetrating fraud and abuse of office.
“Our investigations revealed that as a result of the numerous complaints while he was in office as Managing Director, the immediate past Chief of Naval Staff constituted an investigative panel that found Commodore Aligwe culpable and as a result of the findings, he was recommended for court martial and was to refund huge sums of money that was unaccounted for”, it alleged.