Five directors in the Federal Civil Service have been shortlisted for the final stage of the recruitment process for the position of the Accountant General of the Federation.

The next AGF, who will succeed the outgoing Oluwatoyin Madein, is expected to be selected from among these five candidates.

A memo from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, dated January 24, 2025, and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Fatima Mahmoud, invited qualified directors to apply for the position.

The memo was addressed to key government offices, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Chief of Staff to the President, ministers, and heads of ministries, departments, and agencies.

President Bola Tinubu had in December 2024 appointed Babatunde Ogunjimi as the acting Accountant General following the commencement of pre-retirement leave by Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein.

However, Madein later resumed duty after receiving a directive extending her tenure until March 7, 2025. As a result, Ogunjimi was reassigned to the Public Service Institute of Nigeria as Director of Accounts.

The letter extending Madein’s tenure was issued by the Head of Service of the Federation, according to The Nation.

Speaking on the development, the spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, confirmed that the directive reinstates Madein to oversee treasury operations until her final retirement.

He added that under civil service regulations, terminal leave is optional, leaving some uncertainty over the status of Ogunjimi’s prior appointment as acting AGF.

The new memo from the Head of Service stated that accreditation of eligible candidates for the AGF position began on January 28, 2025, and ended on February 1, 2025.

A separate memo, dated February 13, 2025, and signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Gabriel Aduda, on behalf of the examination committee, revealed that five directors successfully passed the written examination stage and have now advanced to the final oral interview stage. (The PUNCH)