Tinubu suspends REA boss, directors over alleged N1.2bn fraud

President Bola Tinubu has indefinitely suspended the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency, Ahmad Salihijo, alongside three executive directors of the agency, from office.

This followed “new findings unearthed during a comprehensive investigation into the financial activities of the Rural Electrification Agency,” the State House revealed in a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.

The statement is titled, ‘President Tinubu suspends Rural Electrification Agency managing director and team from office.’

Aside from Salihijo, the President also suspended the Executive Director, Corporate Services, Olaniyi Netufo; Executive Director, Technical Services, Barka Sajou and Executive Director, Rural Electrification Fund, Sa’adatu Balgore.

Tinubu also ordered a wider investigation into the conduct of the officials in “a fraudulent mis-expenditure amounting to over N1.2bn over the past two years, some of which has already been recovered by anti-graft agencies,” Ngelale revealed.

Consequently, the President appointed a new management team of the Agency who will serve in acting capacity with immediate effect.

They include: Abba Aliyu as Managing Director/CEO, Ayoade Gboyega as Executive Director, Corporate Services, Umar Umar as Executive Director, Technical Services, Doris Uboh as Executive Director, Rural Electrification Fund and Olufemi Akinyelure as Head of Project Management Unit, Nigeria Electrification Project.

The President “expects 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,” the statement concluded.