NEWS
Appointment of Acting Auditor General of the Federation Sparks Crisis
By Yahaya Hamza, Abuja
A major crisis is brewing in the office of the Auditor General of the Federation( AGF) following moves by the Federal Civil Service Commission to appoint a new acting Auditor General of the Federation through the backdoor, investigations by DAILY ASSET revealed.
The present occupant of the office, Adolphus Aghughu is due to retire from public service September 7, in compliance with the extant civil service rules having attained 60 years of age.
DAILY ASSET checks revealed that based on the extant Federal Civil Service Rules, an acting AGF should be appointed out of the three most senior Directors in the office.
The nominal role of the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation sighted by DAILY ASSET showed that the three most senior Directors in the office are Onwudili A.O(Delta); Gabriel S. Gbayan(Benue) and O.A Ogundowo( Ondo).
Names of the three most senior Directors were said to have been recommended to the Presidency for appointment in acting capacity into the office being vacated since the process to appoint a substantive occupant to the position was yet to be consummated.
Investigations revealed that Section 86(2)of the 1999 Constitution as amended expressly vests the powers to appoint an acting AGF in the President.
The section states Categorically that: “The Power to appoint persons to act in the office of the Auditor – General shall vest in the President”.
However, in a seeming contravention of this constitutional provision, the Federal Civil Service Commission on September 6, 2022 was said to have unilaterally appointed an acting AGF, Julius Isiuku.
In a circular with reference No: FCSC/ PS/31/Vol.II/283 dated September 6, 2022 with the title ” Retirement of Auditor General For the Federation,” the Commission announced Mr Julius Michael Isiuku as the acting AGF.
“I am directed to congratulate you on your service to the nation and wish you successful retirement life.
“As you retire on Wednesday, 7th September, 2022, you are kindly directed to handover to the most senior Director, Mr Julius Michael Isiuku to oversee the affairs of the office of the Auditor General for the Federation pending the appointment of an Auditor General of the Federation”, the letter signed by Dr Mary Ogbe, Permanent Secretary of the Commission said.
The appointment is now generating a major crisis as the out- going AGF, Aghughu may have refused to handover to Isiuku on the grounds that the FCSC was not only incompetent to make the appointment, but also that Isiuku is the 5th on the Nominal Roll and therefore, not among the three most senior Directors.
It was learnt that the Office of the Head of Federal Civil Service of the Federation had in a letter dated 18th July, 2022 with reference No: HCSF/ SPSO/ ODD/ E&WP/ 64421/ 166 addressed to the AGF thrashed out the issue of seniority of Directors of the office.
The letter titled ” Re: Intervention on the Determination of Seniority Among the Directors” signed by BOC Omogo, Director (Organisation Design and Development) for the Head of Service stated as follows:
“I am directed to refer to your letter Ref. NO. GEN/EMAD/ CORR/ 2020/ 55 dated 28th March 2022 on the above subject and convey the reviewed seniority list amongst the five Directors(Audit) in your office as follows:
(1)Mr Andrew Ogochukwu Onwudili, (2)Mr Shirwa Gabriel Gbayan, (3)Mrs Adeoti Oluseyi Ogundowo,(4) Mrs Ngozi Eucharia Ugwu, (5) Mr Julius Michael Isiuku”.
It was learnt that the Civil Service Commission ignored this critical communication from the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and proceeded to make the appointment of the 5th person on the Nominal Roll.
Following this development, an obviously enraged Aghughu was said to have refused to handover the office to Isiuku saying he would not be party to the “illegal appointment”.
A source close to the out- going AGF told DAILY ASSET that Aghughu locked his office on Tuesday, September 6, a day before his scheduled retirement from the public service and left without a word.
Following this development, the workers Union was said to have joined in the controversy as it threatened to prevent anybody from “illegally occupying” the office unless approved by the President.
A member of the union, who wanted to remain anonymous told DAILY ASSET that since the outgoing AGF, Aghughu hails from Edo State(South South) just like his predecessor, Ayine A.M who hails from Cross River (South South), the Acting AGF should come from the North, saying that Mr Gabriel S. Gbayan ought to have occupied the office in an acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive AGF by the President in six Months time as provided in the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The Unionist called on President Muhammadu Buhari to exercise the full powers of his office by appointing an acting AGF from the three most senior Directors already recommended to him and warned the Federal Civil Service Commission from meddling into Constitutional matters, where it had no powers.
NEWS
They Planted Juju in my Jacket at Davido’s House – Peruzzi
Singer Peruzzi has narrated how a charm was planted in his jacket during his stay at Davido’s house.
Peruzzi was signed to Davido’s record label, DMW, in 2017.
Davido dissolved the label in April 2024.
However, discussing his experience during his stay at Davido’s house, Peruzzi narrated how a charm was planted in his jacket.
Speaking in a video interview online, he said, “I took a shower one evening, like at 6 pm. Just a shower and then went to go and meet them back downstairs because I was chilling there before I went upstairs in David house when I was still living there.
“And then I was done taking the shower. I go to my wardrobe to get my clothes, and then one of my jackets is just telling me, ‘Pull me, wear me, wear me, wear me.’ I don’t know how to explain it, but I was just having the urge to wear it.”So, I carry am (the jacket), and something just dropped inside, and when I looked, it was jaz, better juju inside my room. A jacket that just came from the laundry.”
NEWS
AFSNET Business Conference Kicks off in Calabar
From Ene Asuquo, Calabar
The 6th African sub – sovereign Governments Network Investment Conference has started in Calabar the cross river state capital as Afreximbank opens a $2 billion tap for Cross River State and other African sub-sovereign governments for the financing of bankable projects that can turn around their economies.
Making the disclosure in Calabar in a press briefing, The Director, Trade Facilitation and Investment Promotion, Afreximbank, Dr.
Gainmore Zanamwe, said the 6th African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network Investment Conference (AfSNET 2026) is going to be a three day event, running from Thursday 12th to Saturday 14th November, 2026.Dr Zanamwe stated that, the Bank has the facility ready to finance. According to him, “Some people say funding is a problem. From Africa we say no. The $2 billion is there,” Zanamwe said. “Go and tell your people. You people in the media, go and tell people that money is there,” stressing that the bank is fully prepared to spend the next three days, November 12, 13 and 14, in Calabar enlightening states on how to access the fund. “How do you then access the funding? He asked.
“That is what we’ll be telling everybody in the course of the next three days. We’ll be showing you how you can tap into the $2 billion to do your projects. We’ll make it very simple.” He maintained.
Zanamwe stated that only states that present properly packaged, bankable projects will benefit. “We’ll start tomorrow with a training on how to identify projects in your states. Some normally start by saying there’s a project in this, they then run to the investors. It doesn’t work that way. We’ll be breaking it down,” he said.
“We would like, under the leadership of your Governor, to be able to start from the vision and say this is the vision in terms of promoting trade investment in your states. Once you start from that big vision, you cannot do everything. You need to focus. Identify two or three sectors that you really need to focus on and promote,” he added.
He explained that capital can be raised in two ways: by preparing a project and making it bankable for financial institutions like Afreximbank, or by preparing a pitch deck to generate interest from potential investors.
He also promoted Africa Direct Investment, saying an investor from Lagos or South Africa can as well enjoy the same privileges and incentives given to an investor from America.
He stressed that governors will pitch their projects on November 13 and 14, adding that in the last five years, the initiative has facilitated opportunities worth more than $3 billion, trained over 2,000 people, and worked with 21 African countries.
Also speaking on behalf of Governor Bassey Otu, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, welcomed investors to the state.
“With Cross River State’s agrarian economy being rejuvenated by this administration, for the first time a very deliberate attempt is being taken to be able to make sure that our diverse products are being properly processed to meet international standards,” Cobham said.
NEWS
RMAFC Advocates Fair Share of 13 Per Cent Revenue Derivation Among Oil Producing States
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has advocated a fair distribution of the 13 per cent derivation revenue among states that produce oil and gas.
The Chairman of the commission, Mohammed Shehu, made the appeal on Thursday in Owerri during the inauguration of an oil and gas wells verification exercise.
Shehu explained that the commission’s constitutional responsibilities under the 1999 Constitution, as amended, include monitoring revenue generated into and disbursed from the Federation Account, including funds allocated under the 13 per cent derivation arrangement.
He said the exercise would focus on identifying and confirming the geographical coordinates of disputed oil and gas wells, alongside newly drilled wells between 2017 and 2026.
According to him, an Inter-Agency Technical Committee established for the assignment would carry out physical inspections of the affected wells, verify their locations and ensure that their coordinates were accurately recorded using officially approved maps.
He added that the committee would also take relevant court judgments into consideration when addressing disputes involving oil and gas well locations.
Shehu said the committee would forward its technical findings directly to the commission for review, ratification and eventual adoption.
He described the verification exercise as essential to ensuring that revenue allocations from the Federation Account are accurate and fairly distributed, explaining that the geographical positions of oil and gas wells determine the financial entitlements of producing states.
“This exercise represents a crucial phase in establishing statutory accuracy, technical fidelity, and fiscal equity within the Federation Account allocation framework,” he said.
He further explained that the precise coordinates and geographical positions of oil and gas wells have direct implications for the legal and financial rights of the respective states.
The RMAFC chairman urged officials participating in the exercise to adhere strictly to professional surveying procedures, recognised maps and relevant legal requirements in carrying out their assignments.
He reiterated that the technical committee’s report would be submitted solely to the commission for administrative review and formal approval.


