The crisis rocking the appointment of an Acting Auditor General of the Federation appears to be getting messier as two Directors now lay claim to the office.

The Federal Civil Service Commission(FCSC) had on September 6, appointed Mr Julius Michael Isiuku, the 5^th most senior Director on the Nominal Roll of the Office to head the office as the substantive Auditor General, Adolphus Aghughu was due to retire on September 7.

The appointment however, generated furore as it emerged that the Commission lacked Constitutional powers to make  the appointment as Section 82(2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended vests the powers to make the appointment squarely in the office of the President.

Besides, investigations by DAILY ASSET revealed that Isiuku was the 5^th on the Nominal Roll of staff of the office, suggesting that due process was breached as one of the three most senior Directors ought to have been appointed by the President.

On Tuesday morning, it was gathered that Operatives from the Department of State Services(DSS) flooded the Head office complex of the Auditor General in the Central Business District, Abuja to apparently prevent any breakdown of law and order.

It was also observed that Isiuku could not assume the office as the out-going Auditor General, Adolphus Aghughu was not only available to handover to a successor and the office was under lock and key.

Later in the day, it emerged that another Acting Auditor General of the Federation had been appointed.

In a letter datd September 7, 2022 with reference No FCSC/PS/31/Vol.II/287 addressed to Aghughu, the Commission appointed Andrew Ugochukwu Onwudili as Acting Auditor General General, the second of such appointment in 24 hours.

While making the second  appointment, the Commission admitted that it erred in the making the first appointment.

“In line with the seniority determination amongst the Directors in the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation(OAUGF) determined by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) in its letter of 15^th July, 2022 ref: HCSF/SPSO/ODD/E&WP/6442/166, which was made available to the Commission this morning, Mr Andrew Ogochuwu Onwudili is adjudged the most senior Director in the office of the Auditor General for the Federation and is therefore to oversee the Office of Auditor General until the appointment of a substantive Auditor General for the Federation”, the letter signed by Dr Mary A. Ogbe, Permanent Secretary of the Commission, stated.

Following this development, Isiuku was said to have refused to back down saying his appointment was still valid, a source close to the Office told DAILY ASSET.

Some staff who spoke to DAILY ASSET however, called on the Presidency to urgently wade into the matter for sanity to return to the office.

“The Office is already polarised along two lines. There is need to have neutrality for confidence to be restored into the system. The Presidency should wade into this matter and appoint the next most senior Director different from the two controversial appointments, a Union leader, told DAILY ASSET on condition on anonymity.