Ahead of the consideration of the nomination of Mr. Anthony Mkpe Ayine as the Auditor General of the Federation, there is groundswell of opposition against his confirmation by the Senate.
President Muhammadu Buhari forwarded the name of Ayine to the Senate for consideration and confirmation by the Senate.
A source at the National Assembly told our correspondent yesterday that “a number of petitions have been received against the nomination and confirmation of Ayine.”
One of such petitions against the nomination of Ayine addressed to Senate President Bukola Saraki was written by a group which called itself “Coalition of members of staff and organized labour of the office of the Auditor General for the Federation.”
The petitioners said: “Again Ayine, who heads Local Government Auditor General’s Office in Cross River State, is being nominated to the Senate.
“These acts have however weakened the Federal Audit institution and heading towards destruction if not nipped.
“Moreover, it also lives much to be desired if such a sensitive office of the Auditor General for the Federation could be politicized on platter of ethnicity, corruption, monetization, nepotism and compensations as alleged by national media.”
The petitioners said that some reports fingered a highly placed government official to be the arrowhead “in the racketeer recruitment into the Auditor General’s office due to his double standard and the use of delayed tactics in the nomination and the appointment of a substantive Auditor to the vacant seat, after Samuel Ukura the former AuGF retired after attaining 60 years.”
According to the petitioners, “The popular opinion then was that, the Government is expected to have put the machinery in place for Ukura’s replacement, but in its usual delayed manner declined.
“President Buhari, though might be in the dark having allowed his kitchen cabinet to dictate the tune in his government, the discordance tone at the time was allowing immediate past Auditor General, Mr. Samuel Ukura to have his way.
“Experience cannot be bought, hence our eye-opener and petition in calling on the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to as a matter of its oversight power save the entire nation/the Audit institution this imminent embarrassment and set aside the screening of Mr. Anthony Mkpe Ayine’s.”