CSOs to FG: Stop Obsolete Use of Examination to Appoint Accountant-General of the Federation

By Abdulateef Bamgbose

Civil Society organizations (CSOs ), in Nigeria have advised the federal government on how to appoint a new Accountant General of the Federation, AGF

According to the groups, the system where the appointment is based on an examination does not portend well for the country.

The coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) also called on the federal government to ensure experience and qualification are the yardsticks for appointing the next Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) inline with international best practices,

In a statement made available to Newsmen, in Abuja , the president of the coalition of the Civil Society Groups for Good Governance (CSGGG), Comrade Ogakwu Dominic, says the group was worried about the discordant issues arising from the vacant office of the AGF.

The Coalition urges president Muhammadu Buhari to appoint a new AGF based on merit and experience.

According to the group “As a Civil Society Organisation, our position is that the rigorous screening process must be merit-based, focusing on credentials, past and present work experience, competence, capacity and character viz-a-viz the principles of Accountability, Integrity and Transparency.”

“The crux of the matter is that we want the screening process to de-emphasise the obsolete use of examination as the major determinant for recruiting the Accountant-General of the Federation, given the pivotal and influential functions of the office on our national economy”

“After all, it is now visible to the blind and audible to the deaf that examination is not the true test of ones knowledge –The CSOs argued that the examination-centered system disenfranchises and deprives Nigerians of their rights of participation in the democratic process, adding that examination should not be the litmus test for career preparedness”

Comrade Dominic adds : “On the contrary, ability and capacity to deliver on the job should be the yardstick for selecting public stewards and as such, personality and leadership qualities must factor as highly as skill and competence as demonstrated by work experience and track record or career trajectory, in recruitment processes into public service. “