CSOs calls for retirement of AGF, says tenure elongation illegal

The New Era for Sustainable Leadership and Accountability Initiative (NESLAI), a group of 50 civil society organizations, has called for immediate removal of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) Ahmed Idris, who reached the mandatory retirement age in November 2020.

NESLAI executive director, Edwin Olorunfemi, while addressing journalists in Abuja over the weekend, stated that extension of public servants in Nigeria has yielded no positive result other than serving the interest of few individuals benefiting from such anomaly, and is detrimental to sustainable growth.

According to Olorunfemi, NESLAI’s primary interest is engendering and sustaining quality, competent and efficient leadership in public establishments, devoid of greed or ethnic bias and promoting effective leadership for the purpose of achieving growth and development.

Olorunfemi said, “Going by the extant rules governing the 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 appointment is tenured.

“However, the Public Service Rules (PSR) 020810 clearly states that the compulsory retirement age for all grades in the service shall be 60 years of age or 35 years in 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. Therefore, his continuous stay in office contravenes these stated rules and as such, should not be encouraged.”

He added that, 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, saying “Ahmed Idris is a civil servant and must be bound by the civil service rules.”