CSOs Protest In Abuja, Demand Sack Of REA MD, Salihijo Ahmad

Protest is underway in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, over allegations of perpetrating multi-billion naira fraud levelled at the Managing Director of Rural Electrification Agency, REA, Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad.

Two groups, Zero Tolerance for Social Immoralities Initiative, ZETSI, and Concerned Nigerian Citizens Action Against Corruption, are currently protesting at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission headquarters and the Federal Ministry of Power respectively against Ahmad.

The protesters chorusing, “All We are saying Tinubu Sack Salihijo,” carried placards with various inscriptions: “What is Good for Betta Edu is Good for Salihijo”, “Tinubu, EFCC You Are Gender Bias”, “Betta Edu transferred N585M into Personal account, Salihijo transferred N1.2bn REA Money into Personal Accounts.”

Others are: “Salihijo has 37 bank accounts linked to his BVN with two in his mother’s name”, “Salihijo Awarded N200M Contract to himself”, “World Bank, Others should stop loans to NEP, a Unit in REA because Salihijo is Stealing it.”

Speaking at the EFCC protest, ZESTI convener, Ambassador Ibrahim Abdulrazak Imam, expressed disappointment in alleged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and anti-graft agencies’ condoning of Salihijo.

Ibrahim stated that Tinubu and others turned blind eyes to purported financial malfeasance of the REA boss at the expense of electricity to disadvantaged Nigerian communities.

According to him, “We are aware that the EFCC are in receipt of several petitions detailing how Salihijo has been siphoning money off REA to the point of having 37 bank accounts linked to his BVN with two in his mother’s name and many discrepancies in the account name and the date of birth he used to open those accounts.

“Over one Billion dollar loans from International Financial Institutions for electricity generation obtained by Nigeria Electrification Project, a unit in Rural Electrification Agency under Salihijo has been misappropriated.

“If President Tinubu can suspend Humanitarian Affairs minister, Betta Edu for attempting to defraud the nation of N585M and the EFCC is running after the young lady what is stopping the President[url][/url] and the EFCC from bringing Salihijo to book despite the weighty documentary evidence of the financial shenanigans perpetrated by Salihijo that are before them.

“Is it because Salihijo is a man like Tinubu and the EFCC Chairman? And it’s a man’s world? What’s good for Edu is good for Salihijo.”

Videos below:-