Trouble looms in Federal Civil Service as Accountant-General refuses to retire after active service

After the successful completion of his 35 years of active service and attaining the age of 60, Organised Labour under the aegis of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), on Thursday, vowed to occupy the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, in Abuja until he vacates office.

According to a statement by ASCSN’s Secretary-General, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, the Accountant-General clocked 60 on November 25, 2020, and should have vacated office on that day.

Rabsreporters reports that ASCSN alleged the Accountant-General has been boasting that he is “going nowhere because he is close to Mr President who facilitated his promotion to that office, and as such he could not be subjected to guidelines on retirement in the Civil Service”.

According to the Union, their members had already been mobilised and would storm the Accountant-General’s office any time soon and force him to proceed on retirement.

The statement issued by the ASCSN partly reads:

“The compulsory retirement age for all grades in the Service shall be 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier”

“No Officer shall be allowed to remain in service after attaining the retirement age of 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier”

“Those parading themselves as President’s men might just be name-droppers as President Buhari, a disciplined General could not be encouraging impunity of any form.

“This negative report from the end of Alhaji Idris is particularly painful and disturbing because the post of Accountant-General of the Federation is a career one and it is strictly guided by the provisions of the Public Service Rule 020810.

“Moreover, there are about 200 qualified Directors in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation with requisite educational qualifications and vast experience to occupy that exalted office as stipulated in section 86 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended,” the Union emphasised.

The ASCSN stressed that the 1999 Constitution as amended empowered the Civil Service to make its own Rules and that led to the formulation of the Public Service Rules, Financial Regulations, Federal Civil Service Commission Guidelines on Appointment, Promotion and Discipline in the service all of which are inseparable components of Public Service regulations designed to enhance efficient and effective service delivery to the citizens.