By Williams Amofokhai
Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu has suspended the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad and three executive directors over N1.2 billion fraud.
Other suspended are Olaniyi Alaba Netufo, Executive Director, Corporate Services; Barka Sajou, Executive Director, Technical Services and Sa’adatu Balgore, Executive Director, Rural Electrification Fund (REF).
Their suspension is contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.
Ngelale said the decision to suspend Ahmed and three others was 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 mis-expenditure amounting to over N1.2 billion over the past two years, some of which has already been recovered by anti-graft agencies,” he said.
Ngelale said the president had appointed replacement for the suspended executives on acting capacity.
He appointed Abba Abubakar Aliyu as the acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer; 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 Ngelale, Tinubu expected all appointees in his administration to uphold the highest standards of transparency and accountability in the discharge of their duties and reiterated 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.