Investigations by law enforcement agencies have cleared the suspended Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Engineer Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, of corruption allegations.
The former Executive Director (Technical Services) of the Agency, Engineer Barka Sajou, has also been exonerated.
The probe, which was initiated in 2023, followed internal and external audits that flagged irregular payment practices and misappropriation of funds within the agency.
But, the former Director of Finance, former Director of Human Resources, and some senior officials in the Finance and Accounts Department are not so lucky.
They were indicted over unauthorised withdrawals from government coffers.
They were accused of executing payments without the necessary approvals or audit clearances, effectively bypassing the authority of the Salihijo and the Management.
Salihijo and members of the Executive Management were suspended in March 2024 due to the ‘unauthorised withdrawals, significant weaknesses in systems/operations and financial controls’.
The agencies tasked with probing REA finances expanded inquiries into procurement and payment processes, focusing on how approvals were processed and how funds were released through government financial platforms.
A key aspect of the reports indicates that months before the indefinite suspension, Salihijo had escalated concerns about irregular disbursement patterns to relevant authorities, citing unusual activities linked to payments processed through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
Freedom Online learned that following the discovery, the REA Executive Management immediately initiated internal accountability processes and officials concerned within the Finance and Accounts Department were queried and suspended.
There was also a recommendation by the Senior Staff Committee (SSC) for their dismissal which was submitted to the supervisory Ministry of Power for ratification.
It was also learned that between August and September 2023, law enforcement agencies invited and interrogated some of these officials to scrutinise payment records, procurement documentations and internal control processes connected to rural electrification projects across the country.
Several REA officials were arraigned for alleged fraud linked to unauthorised payment processing and the courts ordered remand and asset forfeiture proceedings against these indicted officials.
Law enforcement agencies also obtained interim forfeiture orders over properties linked to proceeds of the alleged fraud, following applications granted by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The properties or assets were traced to funds diverted through compromised payment processes and routed via personal and proxy accounts controlled by the indicted officials.
Freedom Online learned that throughout the prosecution and forfeiture proceedings, Salihijo and members of the Executive Management were neither listed as defendants nor named on any charge sheets, confirming their exoneration.
REA is an agency of the Federal Government responsible for the electrification of unserved and underserved communities under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Power.
It came under scrutiny in 2023, following internal and external probes into irregular payment practices, misappropriation of funds and abuse of office.
