Adewale Ajayi,
Members of the civil society organizations on Tuesday protested the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad over allegations of perpetrating multi-billion naira fraud levelled against him.
The protesters who took to the streets of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, marched to the office of the anti graft agency, EFCC demanding for the removal of Salihijo Ahmad
The two groups involved in the protest are Zero Tolerance for Social Immoralities Initiative, (ZETSI) and Concerned Nigerian Citizens Action Against Corruption, protested at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters and the Federal Ministry of Power respectively against Ahmad.
The protesters who were 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 placards reads “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 office ZESTI convener, Ambassador Ibrahim Abdulrazak Imam, expressed disappointment,just as he alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the anti-graft agencies are condoning Salihijo.
Ibrahim alleged that President Tinubu and others turned blind eyes to purported financial malfeasance of the REA boss at the expense of electricity to the 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.”He said.
