The recent appointment of Mr. Shelmsudeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, as the Acting Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), may have been scuttled following advice from the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
In a remark on the appointment, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had expressed his confidence in Mr. Ogunjimi, saying, “The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation is pivotal to our nation’s treasury management operations. Mr Ogunjimi’s wealth of experience and notable competence will ensure the continued effectiveness of this vital institution as we advance our economic reform agenda.”
However, the President is said to have stayed action on the appointment in line with the advice from the HoSF, Mrs. Esther Walson-Jack.
It was gathered that the Head of the Civil Service of The Federation, posited that the appointment could only be made at the expiration of the terminal leave of the substantive AGF, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein.
According to her, it was wrong to have a substantive AGF and acting AGF when the former was yet to complete the retirement process.
Madein, who was caught unawares by the appointment of a new AGF without her input, had insisted on completing her mandatory retirement procedures before quitting.
However, the development has sparked outrage in the civil service. The Head of the Civil Service allegedly “misled” the President on Federal Government Public Service Rules on retirement procedure.
The issue in contention was the application of Section120243 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 President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against appointing a new AGF until March 7th 2025 when the tenure of Madein expires.
It was however revealed that President Tinubu was “perfectly in order in making the popular appointment.”
It was learnt the same section of the public service was adopted by a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Danladi Kifasi to leave the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to Section120243 of the Federal Government Public Service Rules, Madein ought to have disengaged from December 7th, 2024.
It says: “Officers are required to give three months’ notice to retire from Service before the effective date of retirement.
“At the commencement of three months, Officers should proceed immediately on the mandatory one-month pre-retirement workshop/seminar. “For the remaining two months, retiring Officers are expected to take necessary measures to put their records straight so as to facilitate the speedy processing of their retirement benefits.”
Meanwhile, a source in civil service said: “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.
“A civil servant going on retirement has 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 a need for consistency and time to eschew nepotism.”
“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,” a retired Permanent Secretary, spoke in confidence.
Recall that President Tinubu on December 10th appointed Ogunjimi as the Acting Accountant General of the Federation (AGF).
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Mr. Bayo Onanuga said “his appointment is effective immediately following the pre-retirement leave of the incumbent AGF, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein.”
Onanuga said “in announcing Madein’s successor, President Tinubu ensures a seamless transition in the administration of Nigeria’s treasury and consolidates the implementation of the present administration’s treasury policy reforms.
“As a career civil servant and the most senior director in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), Mr Ogunjimi brings over 30 years of extensive experience in financial management across the public and private sectors.
“He has held significant positions, including Director of Funds at the OAGF and Director of Finance and Accounts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
A chartered accountant, certified fraud examiner, chartered stockbroker, and chartered security and investment specialist, Mr Ogunjimi’s academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Accountancy and a Master’s in Finance and Accounting.
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