ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Saturday, February 27, 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
Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman (Photo Credit: Pulse)

Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman (Photo Credit: Pulse)

Power minister speaks on appointment of ex-level 12 official to head electrification agency

byBassey Udo
January 1, 2020
2 min read

President Muhammadu Buhari has the prerogative to appoint anyone he believes can deliver on his official mandate, the Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, said on Wednesday.

The minister was reacting to an exclusive report by PREMIUM TIMES on the controversial appointment by the president of a former mid-level civil servant, Salihijo Ahmad, as the managing director and Chief Executive Officer of a crucial electrification agency, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

The REA was created by the Electric Power Sector Reform Act in 2006 to facilitate the provision of affordable power supply for residential, commercial, industrial and social activities in the rural and semi-urban areas of the country using renewable energy sources.

Checks by the newspaper revealed that the new REA boss is a former Level 12 public official at the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) which he is said to have exited in 2018. He is also the son of late Salihijo Mohammed Ahmed, a former managing director of Afri-Project Consortium.

Prior to his death on July 7, 1999, the elder Mr Ahmed was a project consultant to the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) then headed by Mr Buhari, who was appointed to the position by the then military ruler, Sani Abacha.

Sources in the power sector queried the appointment, saying the claim by the power minister that the new appointee has ‘vast experience’ in the sector is false. They also queried how a mid-level public official just over a year ago could be appointed head of such a crucial agency if not for his family links.

Additional findings by this newspaper showed that while Mr Ahmad does have experience from his brief stint in the power sector both as a public servant and since he ventured into private practice in 2018, his description as having “vast knowledge and experience in power sector development” may have been exaggerated.

Before our story was published, PREMIUM TIMES reached out to Mr Ahmad and the power minister, none of them replied.

However, the minister through his spokesperson reached out after the story was published.

RelatedNews

Abducted cleric begs for help as Boko Haram threatens to kill in seven days

Finally, kidnapped Kagara students, staff freed

Police arrest Ogun deputy speaker

How woman who reported case to police ended up in prison

In his response, the power minister, Saleh Mamman, justified the controversial appointment, saying he has confidence in the president’s decision on the appointment.

Earlier, President Buhari’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, told our reporter in a telephone chat that his principal likely relied on the recommendation of the minister to make the appointment.

“My advice is that 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,” Mr Shehu said.

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

The minister’s response, however, indicated the appointment was directly by the president.

In a response sent to PREMIUM TIMES by his spokesperson, Emmanuel Bello, the power minister said:

“The president has the prerogative for appointments and he has severally said he would only work with individuals he can vouch for and the minister wholly agrees with this.

“The president is serious about power reforms and has said it several times. Besides, Nigerians are right now more concerned about what anyone can deliver in this bid.

“Political appointments are not based on civil service levels. What many care about right now is what the new REA boss has to offer and we have confidence in the president’s decision.

“The former leadership of the REA wasn’t helping to solve the darkness crisis of the country as many reports have shown. We must, therefore, support the president in his effort to sanitise the sector,” the minister said.

ADVERTISEMENT
  • 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 (70)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Arsenal vs Manchester United (LIVE UPDATES): Arteta gunning for first win

Next Post

Moyes makes flying start as West Ham crush Bournemouth 4-0

Bassey Udo

Bassey Udo

Bassey Udo is PREMIUM TIMES' Business & Economy Editor. He has covered finance, energy, oil, gas & extractive industries for over a decade. He is a winner of the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Journalism, and the Thomson Reuters Foundation (Wealth of Nations) Award for Business Reporting. Bassey is an alumnus of the U.S. International Visitors Leadership Programme. Twitter: @ba_udo

More News

Boko Haram has killed some Nigerian citizens

Abducted cleric begs for help as Boko Haram threatens to kill in seven days

February 27, 2021
The freed students of Kagara High School

Finally, kidnapped Kagara students, staff freed

February 27, 2021
Nigeria Police Force

Police arrest Ogun deputy speaker

February 27, 2021
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila [PHOTO CREDIT: @HouseNGR]

Why huge chunk of COVID-19 vaccines should come to Lagos – Gbajabiamila

February 27, 2021
Olapeju Okafor, woman who was detained and remand after touching a beer bottle.

How woman who reported case to police ended up in prison

February 27, 2021
Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) [PHOTO: @NCDCgov]

COVID-19: One year after, Nigeria records 155,000 cases; 1,900 deaths

February 27, 2021
Next Post
David Moyes (Photo Credit: Reuters on Google)

Moyes makes flying start as West Ham crush Bournemouth 4-0

First Lady, Aisha Buhari represented by wife of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Salamatu Gbajabiamila welcome New Year Baby

Aisha Buhari welcomes Nigeria's first baby of 2020

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 1,625,369 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.