Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoS) says it has commenced the process leading to the appointment of a substantive Accountant General of the Federation (AGF).
According to the memo signed by HoS, Dr Folasade Yemi –Esan, dated 21 June, 2022 and obtained by the 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE on Wednesday, the move followed a directive by President Muhammadu Buhari.
She said the federal government is looking inward from eligible Directors (Accountant) in the pool for the position.
The memo read, “Following the approval of Mr. President, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation is commencing the process of the appointment of a substantive Accountant General of the Federation from eligible Directors (Accountant) in the pool of Accountant General of the Federation.
The memo said, “Consequently, all Accountants in the mainstream Federal Civil Service in the pool of Accountant General of the Federation who have attained the position of Substantive Director (Salary Grade 17) on or before 1st January 2020 and are not retiring from the service earlier than 31st December 2024 are eligible to participate in the exercise.
“Officers undergoing disciplinary proceedings are however excluded from the exercise,” the memo reads.
The memo, therefore, directed permanent secretaries to forward the following to facilitate the process: list of eligible Directors on SGI. 17; confidential and personal files of all eligible directors; five copies of Curriculum Vital of each of the eligible directors; and brief on each of the eligible directors in the attached format to be produced in Microsoft Word and in both hard (5 copies) and soft copies.
It said soft copies of credentials are to be sent via email to ohcsfemd@ohcsf.qov.nq and also in a flash drive.
It said all documents must reach the office of the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office (CMC)), Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Block A, 4th Floor, Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase Il on or before 4:00pm on Wednesday July 6, 2022.
Background
On May 16, The Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mr Idris was arrested in Kano over alleged diversion of funds and money laundering activities totalling over N174 billion.
The AGF was accused of fraud through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates.
He was accused of laundering the fund through real estate investments in Kano and Abuja.
The AGF was arrested for failing to honour multiple invitations by the anti-graft agency.
Two days later, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, suspended the AGF indefinitely.
The minister has directed that Idris should proceed on indefinite suspension pending the outcome of the investigation
On May 22, Mr. Anamekwe Chukwunyere Nwabuoku was appointed as overseer of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).
Before his appointment, Mr Nwabuoku was Director, Inspectorate at the OAGF.
The appointment was announced in a letter dated 20 May, 2022 and signed by Aliyu Ahmed, Permanent Secretary (Finance), Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.
On June 2, EFCC released the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris.