Pressure is growing on anti-graft agencies to investigate Engr. Sulaiman Bolakale Kawu Agaka, a former executive director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), over allegations that more than N12 billion in COVID-19 intervention funds meant for rural electrification projects were diverted under his watch.
The call came in a statement on Wednesday by the Movement for Public Accountability (MPA), a civil society organisation, through its president, Comrade Akinwale Lawal.
The group said the probe was necessary to restore public trust and send a clear message that senior officials cannot escape scrutiny simply by retiring from office.
According to MPA, while the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have already taken steps to prosecute some officials of the agency for corruption, those arraigned appear to be the “foot soldiers” rather than the architects of the rot.
The group insisted that Agaka, who oversaw projects, procurement and monitoring during the period, must be made to account for how such large-scale diversions occurred.
“Engr. Agaka cannot continue to wear the garb of neutrality when billions vanished in departments directly under his supervision. He owes Nigerians answers, and those answers must be demanded by the EFCC and ICPC,” Comrade Lawal said.
The group alleged that funds earmarked to power rural schools, health centres and small businesses were instead diverted through fraudulent procurement processes and questionable consultant contracts.
It accused Agaka of presiding over an environment where contract splitting, diversion through staff accounts, and the use of substandard materials became entrenched.
MPA said the consequences of this mismanagement remain visible across the country, where many rural communities are still in darkness despite budgetary allocations.
“Every child studying under a lantern and every clinic operating without electricity is a direct reminder of the betrayal that happened in REA under Agaka,” Lawal added.
The organisation further questioned Agaka’s lifestyle after retirement, saying his sudden wealth and political visibility suggest that illicit proceeds may have been laundered into private ventures.
It urged the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to review his asset declarations and compare them with his legitimate earnings as a public servant.
“No one is saying accolades or honours should be stripped from him without due process. What we are saying is that the wealth he now flaunts raises questions that must be answered. Nigerians have the right to know whether public funds meant for their development are underwriting his ambitions,” the statement read.
Beyond Agaka, MPA called for broader reforms to ensure senior directors in public institutions bear responsibility for what happens under their watch.
It noted that Nigeria’s culture of treating retirement as an escape route from accountability has weakened institutions and emboldened corruption.
“This country must outgrow the habit of chasing small fry while sparing those who had the authority to prevent wrongdoing. The EFCC and ICPC must prove that the law is blind by looking at those who had the power, not just those who signed papers on their behalf,” Lawal insisted.
The group also demanded a forensic audit of all projects executed under Agaka’s tenure, stressing that the audit should examine procurement records, project delivery timelines and payments to contractors. It said only such an independent exercise would establish whether Agaka directly benefited from the alleged diversion.
MPA urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to match its anti-corruption rhetoric with action by ensuring that no one, regardless of title or connections, is beyond scrutiny.
“This case will test whether Nigeria is serious about fighting corruption or only interested in headlines. Agaka’s record must be placed under the microscope,” the group said.
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