A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), under the auspices of the Centre for Public Accountability (CPA), on Friday demanded the stoppage of the recruitment process for the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation in order to address some alleged irregularities.
The group in a petition forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the National Assembly emphasised the need for due process to be followed in the recruitment process.
According to the copy of the petition, which was signed by the spokesperson for CPA, Comrade Ayodeji Ologun and made available to journalists, “we are calling for this stoppage because we are aware and have obtained documents that have shown that the current process that is planned to be concluded on May 11, 2023, is filled with irregularities and the outcome cannot be trusted.
The petition reads in part: “We are aware that the Federal Civil Service Commission had written the ICPC in correspondence with reference number FCSC/CHMN/RAG/023/II/112, dated 4th October 2022 and titled Screening of Candidates for Appointment as Auditor-General of the Federation.
“The names of five directors were forwarded to ICPC for screening. ICPC replied in a memo referenced ICPC/OPS/GBP/AuGF/TJ/564, dated 17th November 2022 stating that the names of five directors were forwarded to the commission for the screening exercise and all the directors participated in the exercise except one.
“According to ICPC, four of the directors declared their assets with the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), while one failed to do so. Only one director was cleared on all four components of the polygraph test after a post-test interview.
“The ICPC also recommends that based on the screening of the commission, one director is adjudged suitable and should be considered for appointment as the substantive Auditor General of the Federation.
“However with surprise, the Federal Civil Service Commission again on the 12th January, 2023 wrote ICPC in another letter referenced: FCSC/PS/31/VOL III/138. The ICPC in a response letter dated March 17, 2023, stated that the names of ten directors were forwarded to the commission for the screening exercise of which one of the candidates has been profiled in previous exercise where he was adjudged not suitable.
“To this end, there are questions that call for answers, the Federal Civil Service Commission needs to be able to explain to Nigerians why the first report of ICPC wasn’t considered before a new one was sent to ICPC with some names removed.”
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