President Buhari Orders The Reinstatement Of Sacked REA Boss

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the reinstatement of Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA),Ms.Damilola Ogunbiyi.

Her reinstatement was announced in a tweet by the Federal Government via the Twitter handle, @NGRPresident, today.

“President @MBuhari has directed that the suspension of Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi from her role as Managing Director of @realREANigeria, be reversed. Her resignation, effective from 31 December, 2019, has been accepted to enable her assume her new @UN appointment,” said the tweet.

Ekohotblog garnered that the minister of power placed Ms. Ogunbiyi on indefinite suspension last month and ordered an investigation into alleged infractions by the agency under her watch.

It was reported that Buhari approved the appointment of Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad to take over from Mrs. Ogunbiyi as REA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

The minister’s Special Adviser, Media and Communication, Aaron Artimas, confirmed Ahmad’s appointment made this known in a statement in Abuja on December 31.

After her suspension, Ogunbiyi, REA’s first female CEO, tendered her resignation and took up a job as the United Nation (UN) Special Representative for Sustainable Energy and CEO of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll).

Although the president reversed her suspension, he accepted her resignation.

It was learnt on Tuesday that a letter to Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), conveyed the Presidential directive to the international organisation.

“Following the recent developments in the Nigerian power sector, I write to inform you that His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari has reviewed the situation and directed that the suspension of Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi, managing director (Rural Electrification Agency) be reversed for lack of due process,” the memo reads.

Mrs. Ogunbiyi is said to be responsible for negotiating within 18 months the Nigerian electrification project, which is a $550 million facility (World Bank $350 million and African Development Bank (AfDB) $200 milion) to rapidly construct solar mini-grids and deploy solar home systems across Nigeria.

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She is also said to be responsible for the Energising Education Programme which will provide uninterrupted electricity to 37 federal varsities and seven teaching hospitals through off-grid captive power.

She had earlier been accused of committing some infractions but industry sources said that was not the case.