Eight Directors Shortlisted as Accountant-General

The Federal Government has issued a circular for the commencement of the recruitment process for the new Accountant-General of the Federation.

Our correspondent gathered that eight qualified directors on grade level 17 were shortlisted from the Office of the Accountant-General to join some other candidates.

It was also learnt that a complete list of candidates who would participate in the screening process would be made public before the screening.

A source said, “Eight directors were screened from the Office of the Accountant-General, and they will be participating in the process. The full list will be out very soon for all to see. There have been a series of issues over this particular recruitment.”

Corroborating the claim, another source said, “I can’t give you the full number yet, but eight directors are coming from the Accountant-General’s office.”

The appointment process is coming close to five months after the Office of the Head of Service made public a notice asking qualified directors to make their intentions known.

This is following the suspension of the AGF, Ahmed Idris, over issues bordering on misappropriation of funds to the tune of N80bn.

An officer, Chukwunyere Anaekwe, who was also put in place to act as substantive AGF, was said to be linked to the N80bn fraud and was suspended.

Sources in the offices of the AGF and OHCSF, who spoke to our correspondent on Sunday, noted that the acting Accountant General, Sylva Okolie-Eboh, would be retiring from public service in the first quarter of 2023, hence the need for a fast process in the recruitment of a substantive Accountant-General.

The OHCSF had demanded that eligible directors submit five copies of their curriculum vitae and briefs on each of the eligible directors to the Career Management Office of the OHCSCF.

In the circular dated November 25, 2022, which was made exclusively available to our correspondent in Abuja, the process for the selection would commence on January 23, 2022, and end on January 27, 2022.

The eligible directors will be required to declare their assets and provide evidence.

A civil society organisation, Civil Society Groups for Good Governance, however, noted the need for merit and transparency in the appointment of the new Accountant-General of the Federation.

Also, the Coordinator of the Society for Good Government, OluwaDarasimi Bunmi, said, “Civil society members will be on the lookout to ensure that the process runs smoothly.”