A non-governmental organisation, Defenders of Constitutional Democracy (DCD), has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to expedite the appointment of a substantive Auditor General for the Federation.
In a statement made available to the press in Abuja by its National Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Aliyu, the group expressed concern over the vacancy in the position of the Auditor General and its impact on the auditing efforts of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government, thereby allowing corruption to persist in the public service.
According to the group, “Your Excellency, we want to once again remind you that Nigeria has been operating without a substantive Auditor General for the Federation for about a year now.
This is unheard of in any serious country. Since the retirement of the then-AuGF, Adolphus Aghughu, in September 2022, the office has been without a legal occupant.
“After his retirement, the Federal Civil Service Commission advertised the position on August 11, 2022, but the process was incomplete. Instead, we now have an anomaly where an overseeing director was appointed and has been operating since then.
“Your Excellency, as a professional accountant and auditor yourself, we urge you to revisit the process, conclude it, and immediately appoint an Auditor General for the Federation to save the nation from this embarrassment and the damage it is doing to the nation’s public finances.”
The group further added, “Your Excellency, it will interest you to know that the inability of the government to appoint an AuGF since 2022 has also halted the operations of the public accounts committee of both chambers of the National Assembly.
The report of the AuGF for three years has been in abeyance and has not been filed in the National Assembly. This is an aberration.”
“Sir, this vacuum in the position of AuGF is promoting corruption in the system, and we feel this is not good for an administration that has an obsession with transparency, accountability, and zero tolerance for corruption.
“As Defenders of Democracy, we appeal to you to immediately reenergize the process, which commenced in August 2022, and appoint the rightful candidate.
“Sir, we want to inform you that some surreptitious efforts were made by certain elements to thwart the process and sideline some directors on account of skewed seniority and gender.
We advise that you pay special attention to these variables to ensure that the right thing is done and the deserving candidate is appointed.
“You are aware that the Public Service Rule does not recognise nor envisage the position of Overseeing Director; hence, the earlier you resolve this matter, the better.
We know your antecedents and believe you will accede to our request without delay,” the statement concluded.
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