The Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) yesterday faulted appointments made in the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) by the Minister of Power, Mr. Sale Mamman.
It said it has written the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to clarify the status of one of the new appointees in the Procurement Unit, Mr. Bulus Maiyaki.
Maiyaki is from the same Taraba State with the minister.
It said a memo from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) was explicit that REA is under the supervision of the Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jeddy Agba.
HURIWA, which made its opinion known in a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said the appointments made in REA were lopsided.
The statement said: “HURIWA does not want or intend to dabble into the internal politics that motivated the Minister of Power into making those appointments.
“But we are basically writing to protest the lopsidedness observable in this action and the breach of the ethical codes as clearly stated out by the appointing authority through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as emphasised by a memorandum of modus operandi authored by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“As reported by the media and as confirmed by our team who visited the premises of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) most Staff of the agency have faulted the ministerial interference.
“According to our findings from their agitation he (the minister) is not the one supervising REA going by the clear Presidential guidelines issued from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation which goes to show that REA is under the direct supervision of the Minister of State, who had no hand in the redeployment of staff in the agency.
“There is little doubts from our findings that the staff are alleging that the postings were lopsided with the Minister of Power allegedly redeploying four favorites (three from the North-east and one from the North-west) to the Procurement Unit.
“Specifically, going by a memo, which was signed by the Head of Human Resources and Administration, Rakiya Ahman Mustapha, the affected top directors were redeployed with effect from January 2 just as those redeployed got their letters about two to three hours before the new Managing Director, Mr. Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad assumed duties last Thursday.
“We have regrettably read in the media the heightened state of tension currently in the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) over redeployment of top staff by the Minister of Power, Mr. Mamman Sale few hours before the assumption of duties by the new Managing Director of the agency, Mr. Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad.
“Importantly, we reject this move by the Minister of Power to impose his lackeys to take charge of funds and procurement in the Rural Electrification Agency and in the case of the nominee of the minister to take charge of the procurement department.”
The association put the minister to task on the appointment of a new Procurement Director for REA, Mr. Bulus D. Maiyaki.
“We hereby ask the minister to withdraw this appointment immediately or to clearly tell Nigerians if his nominee in the person of Mr. Bulus D. Maiyaki is not the same official in the National Health insurance Scheme (NHIS) who was the Secretary of Tenders Board under the erstwhile Executive Secretary Professor Usman Yusuf who was dismissed from office.
“HURIWA is also by this letter writing to pray the minister to put on hold these appointments with specific reference to that of Mr. Bulus .D. Maiyaki.”
