Group calls for expedited action on appointment of substantive Accountant General of the Federation

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3 years ago

A group, the National Intervention Group of Nigeria, has called for the completion of the process of appointing a substantive Accountant General of the Federation.

The group made this known in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, entitled ‘Call for Conclusion of Appointment of Substantive Accountant-General of the Federation’.

In the letter dated October 7, 2022, the group said that despite the president’s directive on the appointment of a substantive Accountant General of the Federation, the process had been deliberately slowed down.

The open letter, signed by Akinloye Oyeniyi, National Coordinator, further stated that “In accordance with Your Excellency’s directive conveyed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on 16th June, 2022, the process of appointing a substantive Accountant-General of the Federation commenced.

“Sir, it is on a note that in line with that directive, a service-wide circular was issued inviting eligible directors (accountants) on Grade Level 17 in the pool of Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to apply; and one of the criteria for the aspiring applicants is that such must have held the position of director for not less than two years and have not less than two years left in service.

“The criteria were adequately followed and at the close of submission of applications and security clearance by relevant security agencies, we learnt that eight directors qualified for appointment as the substantive Accountant-General of the Federation.”

The group then wondered why the process was not allowed to proceed to the next stage of appointing a substantive Accountant-General after the completion of selection.

The group stated further, “Ordinarily, having concluded the process of selection, the next stage should be the appointment of the substantive Accountant-General of the Federation from the qualified directors, but we learnt the Head of Service of the Federation, in gross disregard for Your Excellency’s earlier directive and subsisting criteria for selection, has proposed that the process be extended to the first quarter of 2023 to accommodate some unqualified people who became directors in 2021 and also allow the director currently overseeing the exalted office, Mr Okolieaboh Sylva, who is due for retirement, to be appointed in acting position for that office.”

The group said going by the Head of Service’s proposal, the almost completed process would be stalled until the first quarter of 2023, which it described as a corrupt practice which would dent the president’s integrity and his government’s anti-corruption drive.

“We, therefore, call on Your Excellency to disregard the Head of Service of the Federation’s latest request and appoint a substantive Accountant General of the Federation from the pool of the qualified candidate already screened,” the group said.

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