President Bola Tinubu has suspended Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, the Managing Director/CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) over Fraud.
Three executive directors of the agency were also suspended.
The suspension was confirmed by presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale in a statement on Thursday.
The statement read:
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
“In the light of new findings unearthed during a comprehensive investigation into the financial activities of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), 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.
“Olaniyi Alaba Netufo — Executive Director, Corporate Services; Barka Sajou — Executive Director, Technical Services; Sa’adatu Balgore — Executive Director, Rural Electrification Fund (REF).
“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.”
In response to the suspension, Tinubu appointed five qualified Nigerians to serve in the agency’s new management team in an acting capacity.
They were Abba Abubakar Aliyu as Managing Director/CEO, Ayoade Gboyega as Executive Director of Corporate Services, and Umar Abdullahi Umar as Executive Director of Technical Services.
Others included Doris Uboh as the Executive Director of Rural Electrification Fund (REF), and Olufemi Akinyelure as the Head of Project Management Unit, Nigeria Electrification Project
The new appointees have been tasked with upholding the highest standards of transparency and accountability in the discharge of their duties.
The President also reaffirmed his commitment to prioritizing the well-being of Nigerians through good governance and high-quality service delivery.
He added that individual interests should not overshadow the critical services provided to the Nigerian people.
