By Egena Sunday Ode
President Bola Tinubu has approved the indefinite suspension of the Managing Director/CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, alongside three executive directors of the agency, from office:
The affected Executive Directors are Olaniyi Alaba Netufo (Executive Director, Corporate Services); Barka Sajou (Executive Director, Technical Services) and
Sa’adatu Balgore (Executive Director, Rural Electrification Fund (REF))
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, announcing the the suspension said the president’s action is “in the light of new findings unearthed during a comprehensive investigation into the financial activities of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).”
Furthermore, President Tinubu has ordered a wider investigation into the conduct of the aforementioned officials in a fraudulent misexpenditure amounting to over N1.2 billion over the past two years, some of which has already been recovered by anti-graft agencies, the statement said.
To replace the suspended REA management team are
Abba Abubakar Aliyu (Managing Director/CEO);
Ayoade Gboyega (Executive Director, Corporate Services);
Umar Abdullahi Umar (Executive Director, Technical Services); Doris Uboh (Executive Director, Rural Electrification Fund (REF)) and Olufemi Akinyelure (Head of Project Management Unit, Nigeria Electrification Project).
According to the statement, President Bola Tinubu expected all appointees in his administration to uphold the highest standards of transparency and accountability in the discharge of their duties and reiterates his determination to elevate the yearnings of Nigerians for good governance and qualitative service delivery above the narrow interests of individuals who are entrusted to provide critical services to the Nigerian people.
