“… at the close of submission of applications and security clearance by relevant security agencies, we learnt that eight aspiring directors qualified for appointment as the substantive Accountant-General of the Federation.”
*Photo: Buhari *
A civil society group known as the National Intervention Group of Nigeria (NIGN) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to conclude the process of the appointment of a substantive Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) without further delay.
NIGN in a letter signed by Akinloye Oyeniyi,
National Coordinator and addressed to the president also said the substantive AFG should emerge ” from the pool of the qualified candidates already screened.”
Read the letter below:
NATIONAL INTERVENTION. GROUP OF NIGERIA
39, Redeemed Estate, Lugbe, FCT
Tel.: 08076455700 email: tac.africa@gmail. com
October 7, 2022
AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY MOHAMMADU BUHARI
PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.
Your Excellency Sir,
CALL FOR CONCLUSION OF APPOINTMENT OF SUBSTANTIVE ACCOUNTANT-GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION.
In the interest of our dear country, Nigeria, her smooth running and supremacy of Section 1(2) of the 1999 Constitution, we, National Intervention Group of
Nigeria, hereby respectively write Your Excellency on the above subject.
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 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 aspiring directors qualified for appointment as the substantive Accountant-General of the Federation.
Ordinarily, having concluded the process of selection, the next stage should be 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 an unqualifiedly interest who became director 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.
Sir, according to the Head of Service of the Federation’s proposal, it then means the almost completed process would be stalled until the first quarter of 2023 when the interested candidate would be qualified to take over from Mr. Sylvia. A corrupt practice which will dab indelible dirts on your integrity and your 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.
We also call on Your Excellency to probe the activities of the Head of Service of the Federation as regards this selection process .
Akinloye Oyeniyi
National Coordinator.