26 shortlisted for AGF

Months after the departure of Ibrahim Dankwambo as the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), the Presidency is enmeshed in scandals and controversies over who to appoint as the substantive AGF.

Investigations by The Nation revealed that there are allegations of “sponsored candidates spending unimaginable amount in naira and dollars to press in their demands to be appointed AGF.”

Six weeks ago, President Goodluck Jonathan gave approval for the selection of a new AGF through a competitive merit test, unlike what happened in the past. Since that directive however, there has been disquiet in the Presidency, particularly the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the supervising ministry of the AGF’s office and other Federal Government circles over who gets the job.

In January, The Nation had reported that the Head of Service, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi, had called for a list of qualified civil servants preparatory to a rigorous test. Sources say the unexplained delay in setting and conducting exams for the 26 shortlisted directors is being seen “as a deliberate ploy to ensure that the best of the candidates does not emerge.”

A list of the 26 top contenders shows that many are chartered accountants, a major requirement for the sensitive position.

The source said another twist to the turn of events in the selection of the new AGF is that “while all these intrigues were on, the most senior accountant in the government, one Mallam Abdulahi Ibrahim, has been left out of the list of possible replacements to Ibrahim Dankwambo.

The argument put forward against Mallam Ibrahim, is that he is not a chartered accountant, but he should have been made to act until a suitable alternative was brought in through a competitive process to replace him.

In the list of the top contenders there are four senior directors who mounted the present saddle in 2004, with three of them coming in on January 1, 2004.