President Bola Tinubu has suspended the Managing Director/CEO of Rural Electrification Agency (REA) , Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, along with three Executive Directors of the agency.
The suspended officials, namely Olaniyi Alaba Netufo, Barka Sajou, and Sa’adatu Balgore, have been relieved of their duties pending a thorough investigation into alleged fraudulent mis expenditure totaling over N1.2 billion over the past two years.
President Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive investigation comes in the wake of reported efforts by anti-graft agencies to recover some of the misappropriated funds.
In an official statement, President Tinubu appointed five new officials to lead the agency in an acting capacity. Abba Abubakar Aliyu assumes the role of the new Managing Director/CEO, supported by Ayoade Gboyega as the Executive Director of Corporate Services, Umar Abdullahi Umar as the 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 for the Nigeria Electrification Project.
Speaking on the appointments, President Tinubu urged the newly appointed officials to prioritize transparency and accountability in their roles. He reaffirmed his pledge to provide Nigerians with high-quality service that goes above the self-serving goals of those given important tasks.