UPDATED: Outgoing AuGF Aghughu Moves To Install Stooge To Cover Up Alleged Maladministration

Posted by African Examiner African News, Exclusive Reports, Exclusive/Investigative Stories, Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Saturday, August 13th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The embattled outgoing Nigeria’s Auditor general of the Federation Alphonsus Aghughu may have concluded plans to install a stooge who will allegedly cover up his alleged Maladminstation, the African Examiner has learnt.

The outgoing AuGF has about three weeks left to retire from the service, and is expected to handover to the most senior director of audits in the office.

Report reaching the African Examiner shows that out of Five directors in line to take over from him, he has a preference for one who is not the most senior in the office.

As expected, this unprofessional maneuvering has thrown the office into undue rancours capable of usurping the performance of the office even after he retires.

“The Outgoing AuGF should allow the new AuGF to come from another zone of the country, and should stop the ongoing manipulation,” the source stated.

Barring his alleged manipulation of the seniority among the directors, African Examiner gathered that the 3 most senior directors in the office are not from his south south region.

However his preferred candidate is 4th in line going by the Public service rules PSR020106.

Our investigations show that as this succession battle rages on, the head of service was invited to determine the order of seniority among the warring directors.

A memo dated 1st of March, 2022 and signed by the Director Human Resources Management at the office Head of Service listed order of seniority as follows: Mr Isiuku JM, Mrs Ogundowo AO, Mrs Ugwu NE, Mr Onwudili OA, Mr Gbayan GS. This memo quoted PRS020106 in arriving at its decision.

Curiously, on 18th July, 2022, a conflicting memo from the office Head of service and signed by Director of Organisation Design and Development listed order of seniority as follows: Mr Onwudili OA, Mr Gbayan GS, Mrs Ogundow AO, Mrs Ugwu NE, Mr Isiuku JM.

Our correspondent notes that in the new memo from HOS, the AuGF preferred candidate has been plucked from 4th position, and bulldozed to 1st in what seems to be orchestrated plans to handover to his anointed candidate.

Some of the Directors have however protested the new memo of 18th July, 2022 stating that it does not follow the civil service rules.

Our correspondent spoke to some serving and retired civil servants and they all agreed that determination of seniority is by date of entry/assumption of office.

“The HOS needs to explain what has changed between March and July 2022 that warrants issuing conflicting memos on this subject matter at the office of AuGF of the federation.” our source said

In a recent statement issued by the press office of the AuGF, the head of the media, said the controversial memo of the 18th July, 2020, which gives Mr Onwudili OA – preferred candidate of the AuGF – the most senior slot has put the matter of seniority to rest.

However, our findings show that the matter is far from over, there are barrages of protests and petitions against this controversial memo, which the statement fails to acknowledge.

“For instance, the author of the new memo failed to ascribe his decision to any known civil service rule. Such a weighty decision can not be predicated on conjecture, it certainly can’t be discretional since there are existing rules and precedence.

“And this manipulative move to install a successor through the back door has to stop, it is capable of eroding the integrity of the AuGF office, causing disharmony as well as setting a bad precedent in the service. If you have served very well devoid of fraud and corruption — why do you need a stooge to cover up? – do the right thing, handover to the right person.” Our source advised

More to come…