In a sudden reversal of decision and what appears a show of power play, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) Thursday announced the redeployment of the acting accountant general of the federation, Mr. Shelmsudeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, to fill an existing vacancy in the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) Abuja, as director in charge of accounts.
A circular with reference number OAGF/ADMIN/TR01184/XIX/111 and dated 18th December, 2024, advised Ogunjimi and 20 others affected by the posting “to submit Assumption of Duty Certificate to the Office of the undersigned on or before Tuesday 24th December, 2024.”
Titled ‘Posting of Treasury Officers’, it read in part: “I hereby approve the posting of the following Directorate Level Treasury Officers with immediate effect towards enhancing effective service delivery.”
The circular, obtained by Blueprint and signed by the outgoing AGF, Dr (Mrs) Oluwatoyin J. Madein, also warned: “I want to reiterate that all officers are to note that failure to comply with this positing instruction shall be treated in accordance with provision of the Public Service Rules PSR 020602 (iv).”
Ogunjimi, who was in charge of Fund in the OAGF before the posting, was replaced with Abalaka James N.
A breakdown of the posted officers showed that 12 were directors, five deputy directors and four assistant directors.
…His appointment by Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had, December 10, appointed Ogunjimi as the Acting AGF.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga said “his appointment is effective immediately following the pre-retirement leave of the incumbent AGF, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein.”
“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,” he added.
…Twist
In a twist, however, Ogunjimi’s appointment as acting AGF was said to have been put on hold on the advice of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).
It was learnt that the OHCSF felt the appointment could only be made at the expiration of the terminal leave of Madein as the substantive AGF.
With the appointment being put on hold and consequent deployment of Ogunjimi, there is a momentary tension within the civil service.
Blueprint gathered that Madein, who never had any input whatsoever in Ogunjimi’s choice, insisted on completing her tenure.
“The outgoing AGF Madein respects the president’s decision and authority to appoint anyone, but the issue remains that she is yet to complete her tenure and officially retire from service. By the recent posting, the AGF only acted to enhance service delivery,, and not to witch-hunt anybody,” said a source in the OAGF.
However, another source said “the AGF’s posture is confrontational and brazen violation of civil service rules. There is monetary tension within the civil service,” as the OHCSF is believed to have wrongly guided Mr. President on Public Service Rules on retirement procedure.
The interpretation of Section120243 of the Federal Government Public Service Rules remains contentious.
It was gathered that Tinubu was advised against appointing a new AGF until the 7th of March, 2025 when the present occupant of the office must have exited.
Some contended that if the section was rightly applied, Madein ought to have disengaged from the 7th of December, 2024.
The section reads: “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.”
“With the above rules, the president was “perfectly in order in making the popular appointment”, considering the fact that 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,” said a source conversant with the public service rules.
“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 need for consistency and time to eschew nepotism,” Blueprint further gathered.
Also speaking under anonymity, a retired Permanent Secretary said: “This is an attempt to overrule the President by the Head of the Civil Service. This is abnormal. Deploying Ogunjimi after Mr president has appointed him acting AGF is not only an affront on President Tinubu, but a flagrant display of impunity in the civil service. 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.
Efforts by Blueprint to get the reactions from the OHCSF were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.