Senate confirms Ayine as AGF

THE Senate, on Wednesday, confirmed the appointment and nomination of Anthony Ayine as the Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF).

President Muhammadu Buhari had, in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on December 13, 2016, sought Senate’s confirmation for Ayine as the next AGF.

Ayine’s confirmation followed the presentation of the report of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, led by its Chairman, Senator Andy Uba.

While presenting the report of the committee, Uba made it known that there were petitions against Ayine to scuttle the confirmation but informed that his competence was not in doubt, therefore, recommended that the nominee be confirmed.

Senator Binta Garba, (APC-Adamawa) tried to stop Ayine’s confirmation, claiming that Ayine is a cousin of the current Head of Service and had been a local government auditor.

She said: “Given his position as local government auditor, he would be placed at Grade Level (GL) 14 after conversion to federal service, whereas the law specifies GL 17 as requirement for the office of Auditor-General of the Federation.”

The Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, countered Garba and disclosed that the petition on which she based her claims was misleading, saying “he was the state’s auditor-general for all local government areas in the state not just one local government.”

He added that by virtue of Ayine’s position, he was on a level similar to a permanent secretary, adding that with that he met the GL 17 requirement.

The Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan (APC, Yobe North) and George Sekibo, (PDP-Rivers) supported Akpabio claim, arguing  that Ayine had gone through the constitutional process, including writing and passing required test before he was nominated by the president.