N1.2b Fraud: Tinubu Suspends Rural Electrification Agency MD, Three Others

Tinubu has suspended the Rural Electrification Agency MD and three directors over N1.2bn fraud.

Glamtush reports that President Bola Tinubu has suspended the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad alongside three Executive Directors of the Agency, indefinitely.

This online news platform understands that 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 Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Thursday.

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.

“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,” the statement read.

“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.”

Following the suspension, Tinubu appointed five qualified Nigerians to serve in the agency’s new management team in an acting capacity.

They are Abba Abubakar Aliyu as Managing Director/CEO, Ayoade Gboyega as Executive Director of Corporate Services, Umar Abdullahi Umar as Executive Director of Technical Services, Doris Uboh as the Executive Director of Rural Electrification Fund (REF) and Olufemi Akinyelure as the Head of Project Management Unit, Nigeria Electrification Project.