Tinubu Suspends MD, Three Executive Directors of Rural Electrification Agency

* Directs further probe of officials over alleged misappropriation of N1.2bn
 *Okays reconstitution of NELMCO board  

*Reappoints Isegbe NAQS Director-General

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has approved the indefinite suspension from office of the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Salihijo Ahmad.

Also suspended are three Executive Directors of the agency namely: Olaniyi Netufo, Executive Director, Corporate Services;  Barka Sajou, Executive Director, Technical Services and Sa’adatu Balgore, Executive Director, Rural Electrification Fund (REF).
Presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, in a release issued yesterday, said the suspension of the management team was in view of new findings unearthed during a comprehensive investigation into the financial activities of the agency.

 Tinubu has also ordered a wider investigation into the conduct of the aforementioned officials in n alleged fraudulent misappropriation amounting to over N1.2 billion over the past two years, some of which had already been recovered by anti-graft agencies.
By the directive of the president, five other Nigerians have been appointed with immediate effect to serve in the new management team of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in acting capacity.

The new appointees are Abba Aliyu — Managing Director/CEO; Ayoade Gboyega — Executive Director, Corporate Services; 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.

“President Tinubu expects all appointees in his administration to uphold the highest standards of transparency and accountability in the discharge of their duties.
“He 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,” said the statement.
Also, Tinubu has approved the reconstitution of the board of the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMCO) with a modification to the board structure.

The new structure now empowers  the minister of power to take over the board chairmanship from the minister of finance, in view of NELMCO’s central role in the operation of the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
Ngelale listed the new board members of NELMCO to include: Minister of Power as Chairman; Minister of Finance, Vice Chairman; Director-General, Debt Management Office,  member and Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, member.

Others are Mrs. Mojoyinoluwa Dekalu-Thomas, Managing Director/CEO (five-year term); Mr. Joseph Asuku Bello, Executive Director, Asset Management (five-year term); Mr. Hassan Yahya, NELMCO Executive Director, Corporate Services (five-year term); Mr. Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya, Non-executive Director (three-year term), and Prof.  Ayanfemi Ayandele, Non-executive Director (three-year term).

“In line with his Renewed Hope Agenda, President Tinubu anticipates that NELMCO board’s new structure and composition will yield expeditious and measurable progress in the management of the power sector’s post-privatisation liabilities to create conditions for the sustainable attainment of world-class standards of operational efficiency across all sub-components of the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI),” Ngelale said.
Meanwhile, Tinubu has approved the reappointment of the Director-General of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Dr. Vincent Isegbe, for another five-year term in office.

The president, according to a statement issued by Ngelale, said he expects the new director-general to build on the service’s recent performance, after it ranked in the top three agencies of the federal government in the efficiency and transparency index by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).