Mrs. Eno Olotu, Director of Information and Public Relations in her office, released a statement Monday night in Abuja from the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack.

Walson-Jack reaffirmed the government’s commitment to an open and merit-driven selection process by stating that the appointment process will adhere to a structured, multi-tiered evaluation system, as authorized by the President, to guarantee the selection of qualified, credible, and competent individuals.

She clarified that the recent retirement of a permanent secretary from Oyo State and an upcoming vacancy in the North-West geopolitical zone were the causes of the two open permanent secretary jobs. Additionally, when the current Accountant-General of the Federation retires in March 2025, the post will become vacant.

In what seemed to be a policy reversal, President Tinubu ordered Dr. Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein, the current AGF, to stay in office until March 7, 2025, in December 2024. Tension within the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) in Abuja resulted from the controversy surrounding the appointment of Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi as the next AGF.

After Dr. Madein’s pre-retirement leave began on December 7, Presidential Spokesman Bayo Onanuga first announced Ogunjimi’s appointment on December 10, 2024. Dr. Madein was later directed by the Office of the Head of the Federation’s Civil Service to revoke her pre-retirement leave and continue to serve until March 2025.

In a petition, Kano activist Hajiya Naja’atu Mohammed claimed that Ogunjimi from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was nominated as acting AGF instead of a Northerner, as the presidency had prevented. Two Northerners who were technically next in line for the job, she added, were passed over.

All active Grade Level 17 officers in the mainstream Federal Civil Service who have been in their current roles for at least two years and have indicated an interest in taking part are now eligible to apply for the appointment process.

In order to be eligible, candidates must fulfill a number of requirements, such as being screened and verified by their individual permanent secretaries and the Federation’s accountant general to make sure they are not the subject of any disciplinary proceedings.

There will be several verification procedures in the selecting process:

• A screening process conducted by a Committee of Permanent Secretaries, observed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Department of State Services (DSS).
• Mandatory asset declaration with the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
• Anti-corruption clearance from the DSS, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the ICPC.
• A written examination conducted at a top Federal Government security agency, with oversight from serving and retired permanent secretaries and observers from civil society organizations, the private sector, professional associations, DSS, and ICPC.
• A proficiency test in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, observed by ICPC and DSS.