President Bola Tinubu has approved the reconstitution of the Board of the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company, NELMCO.
Tinubu has also suspended the Managing Director/CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, as well as three Executive Directors of the Agency.
At NELMCO, the President effected a modification to the Board structure, and has empowered the Office of the Minister of Power to take over the Board Chairmanship from the Office of the Minister of Finance, in view of NELMCO’s central role in the operation of the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry, NESI.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ajuri Ngelale, announced the development on Thursday in a statement.
The Chairman and members are:
Minister of Power — NELMCO Board Chairman
Minister of Finance — NELMCO Board Vice-Chairman
Director-General, Debt Management Office — Member
Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises — Member
Mrs. Mojoyinoluwa Dekalu-Thomas — NELMCO Managing Director/CEO (five-year term)
Mr. Joseph Asuku Bello — NELMCO 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)
Prof. (Mrs) Ayanfemi Ayandele — Non-Executive Director (three-year term)
Ngelale said in consonance with his Renewed Hope Agenda, President Tinubu anticipated that NELMCO Board’s new structure and composition would 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.
The suspended officials of the rural electrification agency are:
Olaniyi Alaba Netufo, in charge of Corporate Services;
Barka Sajou, overseeing Technical Services; and
Sa’adatu Balgore, responsible for the Rural Electrification Fund (REF).
The official statement disclosed: “President Tinubu has directed a comprehensive investigation into the conduct of the mentioned officials, relating to fraudulent misexpenditure totaling over N1.2 billion over the past two years. Some of these funds have already been recovered by anti-graft agencies.”
Subsequent to the suspension, President Tinubu appointed five qualified Nigerians to serve in the agency’s new management team in an acting capacity.
The appointees include:
Abba Abubakar Aliyu as the new Managing Director/CEO,
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.
Emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability, President Tinubu urged the newly appointed officials to uphold the highest standards in the discharge of their duties. He reiterated his commitment to prioritizing the aspirations of Nigerians for good governance and qualitative service delivery, transcending the narrow interests of individuals entrusted with crucial responsibilities for the Nigerian people.
