CSO flays ‘alleged’ tenure elongation for AGF, Idris

By Stanley Onyekwere

A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), New Era for Sustainable Leadership and Accountability Initiative (NESLAI) has faulted the seemingly tenure extension for the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) Ahmed Idris, describing it as counter productive, and abuse of the Civil service rule.
Speaking at a Press briefing in Abuja, Executive Director of NESLAI Comrade Edwin Olorunfemi noted that just like the extra years spent by the immediate past Service Chiefs yielded nothing to solving the insecurity issues in the country, the tenure elongation for the Accountant General is of no good.
Olorunfemi alleged that the continued stay of Idris in office as the AGF, months after reaching the mandatory retirement age in November 2020 was an anomaly to the principle of succession plan.
He explained that “Going by the extant rules governing Nigerian civil service, the Accountant General should have retired and handed over to the next ranking officer in his replacement.
“But the Accountant General is still holding on to his seat, and enjoying all the benefits claiming the appointments is tenured.”
He adds: “The Accountant General has been a career civil servant and all the 15 Accountant Generals before him served for 35 years or reached retirement age of 60 years. Ahmed Idris is a civil servant and must be bound by the civil service rules.
“The continued stay in office by the Accountant General negates the principle of succession plan, which implies quality grooming of a subordinate by a leader creating a smooth transference of leadership roles and maintaining sustainable leadership in public service.
“Moreover, like many of the sit-tight leaders in the country, the current Accountant General has not done anything spectacular to justify his tenure extension because if his predecessors had taken that route, he would not have gotten to this height.
“Additionally, his continuous stay contradicts the circular from the Office of the Head of Service to all agencies of the Nigerian Government which says “For avoidance of doubt and in order to maintain discipline and integrity, the extant public service rule which prescribes 60 years of age or 35 years of service for mandatory retirement should strictly be complied with. “
Furthermore, the group argued that a situation where Civil Servant who head government Agency or become Permanent Secretary would perpetuate him/herself in office and refuse to retire is gradually destroying the service and also demoralizing career civil servants as it denies them their career progression.