ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
EXCLUSIVE: Buhari appoints Level 12 officer, lacking ‘vast experience’, as head Rural Electrification Agency

EXCLUSIVE: Buhari appoints Level 12 officer, lacking ‘vast experience’, as head Rural Electrification Agency

byOladeinde Olawoyin
January 1, 2020
3 min read

President Muhammadu Buhari approved a former mid-level civil servant to head a crucial electrification agency, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.

Perhaps to conceal the fact that the appointment would be questioned by Nigerians, the appointee was described in a public press statement as an expert with “vast knowledge and experience in power sector development.”

A spokesperson announced Tuesday that the president approved the appointment of Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency.

Aaron Artimas, the Special Adviser on Media and Communication to the Minister of Power, made details of the appointment known in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.

The statement said that Mr Ahmad is a renewable energy expert who holds two master’s degrees in development studies and project planning. He is also said to have “vast knowledge and experience in power sector development.”

PREMIUM TIMES’ check revealed, however, that Mr Ahmad was a level 12 public official and son of Salihijo Mohammed Ahmed, a former managing director of Afri-Project Consortium. Mr Salihijo was a major project consultant to the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF). He died on July 7, 1999.

While alive, he was a strong ally of Mr Buhari, who was then the Chairman of PTF.

Mr Buhari was appointed to head the PTF by the late military head of state, Sani Abacha.

Appointment

On Tuesday, the statement announcing the appointment of Mr Ahmad said he has “vast experience in the power sector development”.

RelatedNews

VIDEO: Nigeria receives 3.94 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines

PDP reconciliation committee visits Obasanjo

FAKE NEWS: ‘Latest Obasanjo letter’ in circulation written in 2019

Buhari speaks on release of abducted Zamfara school girls

But insiders who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES disputed the claim.

Details seen by this newspaper showed that Mr Ahmad graduated in 2006 with BSC Electronic Engineering. After graduation, he served the mandatory National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, in 2007 and was employed in 2008 at the infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) where Mansur Ahmed, one-time Chairman of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, NESG, headed.

Mr (Mansur) Ahmed is said to be one of the new appointee’s relatives.

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

In 2010, while at ICRC, there was a directive that the employment grade of Mr (Salihijo) Ahmad and a few others should be adjusted. Subsequently, his position was adjusted to Grade Level 9 Step 2, according to internal correspondence seen by PREMIUM TIMES.

While still at ICRC, he was posted on secondment as a personal assistant to the then Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed.

His last known promotion in the civil service Grade Level 12, PREMIUM TIMES gathered. One source said he left the ICRC in 2018.

Insiders say contrary to the “vast experience” the new MD is not known as a knowledgeable and experienced expert in the Nigerian power sector.

Nepotistic appointment?

The new appointment yet again raises questions about Mr Buhari’s penchant for appointing people into positions of authority not necessarily based on track records of excellence and expertise.

Since it came into power in 2015, the Buhari-led government has been charged with several allegations of nepotism in the appointment of public officials and other key governmental decisions.

ADVERTISEMENT

In November 2018, PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Buhari approved the appointment of his son-in-law, Junaid Abdullahi, as Executive Secretary at the Border Communities Development Agency (BDCA).

His appointment took effect from September 22 for an initial period of four years.

PREMIUM TIMES first reported on November 5 that Mr Abdullahi, a retired airline pilot, had been quietly appointed head of the border agency. He was married to Zulaihat, the president’s first daughter, who passed on in November 2012 aged 40.

On Tuesday, the latest appointment raised questions about the president’s record of appointing officials based on other considerations apart from competence and experience.

Officials React

When contacted, the newly appointed MD, Mr Ahmad, did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES’ request to speak with him on the issue. When this newspaper called his known telephone number Wednesday morning, he did not respond. He has also not responded to multiple text messages sent to him as at the time of filing this report Wednesday afternoon.

When contacted on why the president made such appointment, Mr Buhari’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, advised our reporter to contact either the Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, or the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

“My advice is that the President must not be the news source of first instance. It is either you get in touch with the Minister of Power who oversees the affairs of the agency and may have made the recommendation to the president for the appointment, or the SGF, who may have issued the appointment,” Mr Shehu said.

Mr Shehu later called back to request for some time to get across to the Minister of Power for his side of the story.

Separate calls and messages sent to the minister of power were not answered.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This post has been updated to reflect new information obtained that Mr Ahmad left ICRC as a level 12 officer in 2018.

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (0)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Saro-Wiwa: Britain resisted sanctions on Abacha regime for commercial reasons, documents show

Next Post

Nigerians abroad remit over $25 billion in 2019 – Dabiri-Erewa

Oladeinde Olawoyin

Oladeinde Olawoyin

Oladeinde Olawoyin reports Business & Economy, Development and Lagos Metro at PREMIUM TIMES. A First Class graduate of Mass Communication from the University of Ilorin, Ilorin, he was nominated in the journalism category of The Future Awards Africa in 2017. Aside maintaining a column titled ‘SATURDAY SATIRE’, he also writes art and culture pieces on weekends. Twitter: @Ola_deinde

More News

Zamfara State map

Insecurity: Buhari declares Zamfara ‘no fly zone’, restates ban on mining activities

March 2, 2021
Nigeria takes delivery of the first batch of Oxford-AstraZeneca #COVID19Vaccines from #COVAX.

Nigeria receives 3.94 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines

March 2, 2021
Late Emir of Kagara, Alhaji Salihu Tanko

Emir of Kagara is dead

March 2, 2021
Buhari presides National Security Council Meeting

PHOTOS: Buhari presides National Security Council Meeting

March 2, 2021
Olusegun Obasanjo

PDP reconciliation committee visits Obasanjo

March 2, 2021
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo. [PHOTO CREDIT: @Atl_Dialogues]

FAKE NEWS: ‘Latest Obasanjo letter’ in circulation written in 2019

March 2, 2021
Next Post
Why we haven’t evacuated our citizens from South Sudan – Nigerian govt

Nigerians abroad remit over $25 billion in 2019 - Dabiri-Erewa

Fire razes home of Borno physician

Fire razes home of Borno physician

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


NITDA Ad





Glo Ad

Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,627,484 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert

Zenith Advert
ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.