Tension Brews In Civil Service Over Plot To Reverse Ogunjimi’s Appointment As AGF
- Head Of Service Accused Of Misleading President Tinubu
Tension is currently brewing over the stay of action on the appointment of the Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, AGF, Mr. Shelmsudeen Babatunde Ogunjimi.
According to multiple reports, Ogunjimi’s appointment was delayed following an advice from the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack.
The HoS was reported to have “felt the appointment could only be made at the expiration of the terminal leave of the substantive AGF, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein.
“Therefore, it was wrong to have a substantive AGF and acting AGF when Sakirat Madein was yet to complete the retirement process,” a source said.
According to the reports, Madein, who was caught unawares by the appointment of a new AGF without her input, insisted on completing her mandatory retirement procedures before exit from service.
The situation has, however, created tension in the civil service as insiders alleged the Head of the Civil Service of allegedly “misleading” the President on Federal Government Public Service Rules on retirement procedure.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Appoints Acting AGF
The issue in contention was the application of Section 120243 of the Federal Government Public Service Rules.
The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation was said to have “wrongly” advised Tinubu against appointing a new AGF until March 7, 2025, when the tenure of Madein will expire.
Meanwhile, a source in civil service informed some journalists that “We learnt the President stayed action on Ogunjinmi’s appointment because of an advisory from the Head of the Civil Service. It is not mandatory for the outgoing AGF to be in office for the next three months”.
Furthermore, the source stated that “a civil servant going on retirement has a skeletal engagement to do in office after 35 years. Actually, he or she should be preoccupied with the transition to a new occupant of the office.
“The President must end this sit-tight syndrome in public service. What we now experience is for workers not to go on pre-retirement leave. They work till the last day.
“This is exactly what is happening in this case of the new AGF, whose appointment did not have the endorsement of either the Head of the Civil Service or the outgoing AGF.
“There is a plot to reverse the appointment of Ogunjimi by turning the Public Service Rules upside down.
“I think some forces were not happy with the President’s choice of Ogunjimi and they want to use civil service rules to scuttle it. They already knew the President is a due process man.
“Barrister Danladi Kifasi was Head of Service under Buhari; he gave three months’ notice and retired. There is need for consistency and time to eschew nepotism.”
A retired Permanent Secretary, who also spoke on condition of anonymity is of the view that “this is an attempt to overrule the President by the Head of the Civil Service. This is abnormal.
“Was the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, not removed despite the fact he has up till August 2025 to complete his second term in office?
“No one can choose a team the President should work with for him.”
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
