President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Umar Abdullahi Umar as the new Executive Director of the Rural Electrification Agency.
Umar is the son of ex-Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State and the current National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
His appointment was announced in a press statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Thursday.
The appointment came after the suspension of Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, alongside three Executive Directors of the Agency, from office.
The statement also announced the appointment of Abba Aliyu as Managing Director/CEO, Ayoade Gboyega as Executive Director, Corporate 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.
While announcing the suspension of Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad and others, the presidency said, “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: (1) Olaniyi Alaba Netufo — Executive Director, Corporate Services (2) Barka Sajou — Executive Director, Technical Services (3) Sa’adatu Balgore — Executive Director, Rural Electrification Fund (REF).
“Furthermore, 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.
“By the directive of the President, the following qualified Nigerians are appointed to serve in the new management team of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in acting capacity with immediate effect: (1) Abba Abubakar Aliyu — Managing Director/CEO (2) Ayoade Gboyega — Executive Director, Corporate Services (3) Umar Abdullahi Umar — Executive Director, Technical Services (4) Doris Uboh — Executive Director, Rural Electrification Fund (REF) (5) Olufemi Akinyelure — Head of Project Management Unit, Nigeria Electrification Project.
“President Bola Tinubu 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.
