The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has decided to meet with the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to discuss the ongoing controversy regarding the seniority of 10 top officials on the Director Cadre for the vacant position of Auditor General of the Federation (AuGF).
Mr. Okonkwo Udoh, the representative of the Head of Service of the Federation, made a presentation on the matter before the Committee chaired by Hon. Wole Oke.
At its most recent meeting, the Committee summoned the Chief of Staff, Folashade Esan, to clarify the matter.
Oke, commenting on the development, stated that the selection processes would have to be halted to allow for proper consultations on the contentious issues, including communication with the Attorney General of the Federation for legal interpretation.
He asked, “Why are they in such a rush now? It is prohibited for a Director to manage the office of the Auditor General of the Federation, as no such provision exists.This Director cannot fulfil the constitutional responsibilities of the Federation’s Auditor General.
We have a backlog of audited accounts of the Federation for 2020, 2021, and 2022 that have not been laid before the National Assembly due to the absence of a substantive Auditor General of the Federation who is to sign them. “We as a Committee review the submissions before us and consult with the Attorney General of the Federation prior to making a final decision that will be acceptable to all parties.”
In their submissions, the aggrieved directors implored the Committee to examine the issue critically in light of the existing civil service rules and regulations.
In addition, they urged the legislators to adhere to the civil service provisions in order to prevent manipulation of the selection procedures.
