OAGF Directors Accuse Okolieaboh Of Posting Irregularities, Coverup

Outgoing Accountant-general of the Federation Mr. Sylva Okolieaboh has been dragged to office of the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed by aggrieved directors and deputy directors in his office over allegations of irregularities in recent staff posting, and plot to cover up his tracks ahead his retirement from public service.

10 directors and two deputy directors in the OAGF recently petitioned the finance minister, accusing the AGF of hijacking the duties of the director of administration and acted by himself where he personally posted 12 staff and signed the memo for the postings without recourse to due process.

The affected senior staff of the OAGF said the actions are suspicious of fowl-play and cover-up by Okolieaboh, given that he is to set to retire within the next couple of days.

“Mr. Sylva who is about to retire on May 26, 2023, was deeply involved in a lopsided posting of staff of the OAGF believed to be his cronies and associates who may be sending returns to him while he exited the Civil Service of the Federation from next week.

“What he did was actually unimaginable by sidelining other senior directors especially the Director of Administration of the OAGF who has statutory duties and is in charge of general administrative duties, staff promotions, discipline, and postings of staff to MDAs,” the directors wrote in the petition they jointly signed.

The protest came against the backdrop of a memo dated May 8, 2023, and signed by Okolieaboh communicating the posting of 12 directors from the treasury house to other ministries and parastatals.

The memo titled, “Posting of Directors and Deputy Director of Finance and Accounts SGL 17/16 Under the Pool of Office of the Accountant General of the Federation”, was addressed to the Permanent Secretaries in the ministries of Education, Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Niger Delta Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Police Affairs, Finance, Budget and National Planning, Police, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, North East Development Commission, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, and the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Police Trust Fund.

10 directors were affected by the posting and two deputy directors who were assigned responsibilities in other ministries.

Director of press in the OAGF, Mr Bawa Salihu Mokwa admitted the postings to our correspondent, pointing to the repercussions on disobedience to constituted authorities in line with civil service rules. He did not speak to the allegations of official corruption and coverup made against Mr Okolieaboh on the reason that he doesn’t have permission to speak to other issues raised.

The takes immediate effect, according to Mr Okolieaboh who told the affected officers that failure to comply with the posting instruction will be treated in accordance with the provision of public service rules.

“Accordingly, affected officers are advised to submit assumption of duty certificate to the undersigned on or before May 22, 2023,” the acting accountant-general instructed.

In a protest letter they wrote to finance minister on May 17, 2023, the affected directors faulted the postings, while accusing Okolieaboh of indulging in illegalities in the posting of senior account directors outside his office to some ministries and MDAs even when there was no need for such.

The affected directors said “such illegality and abused of due process where the AGF himself will sign the memo for the postings of staff while director of administration is available in the office” had not been witnessed in the office before now.

The directors who claimed Mr Okolieaboh collected unspecified amount of monies from staff to post them to some “juicy MDAs” said he abandoned due process and unilaterally posted those who paid bribe to choice beats.

“About 12 staff were on the posting list in a memo reference no. TRO/865/VOL.XVI.221 he personally signed dated 8th of May, 2023 without observance of the due process and public service rules.

“Some staff of the OAGF threatened to petition the anti-corruption agencies if such grave anomalies were not immediately reversed to avoid setting a bad precedent at a sensitive office of nation’s treasur,” the directors stated.