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Leadership crisis rocks office of AGF, may delay payment of Dec salary

Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi: yet to assume office after Tinubu’s approval…
Just a week after the appointment of the new Accountant-General of the Federation (AG-F), Mr. Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, there is a plot to stop him from assuming office.
The latest row is over the misinterpretation of Section120243 of the Federal Government Public Service Rules.
The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation was said to have “wrongly” advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against appointing a new AG-F before March when former holder, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Madein’s tenure will end.
But going by the Public Service Rules, Mrs. Madein ought to have proceeded on pre-retirement leave from December 7.
The outgoing AG-F has not given three-month notice of retirement.
She has also yet to initiate official procedure of handing over to the new AG-F.
Mrs. Madein, who is sticking to her tenure, wants to remain in office till March 7 as the substantive AG-F.
According to Section 120243 of the Federal Government Public Service Rules, Mrs. Madein was expected to have handed over to her successor.
It says: “Officers are required to give three months’ notice to retire from Service before the effective date of retirement.
“At the commencement of three months, officers should proceed immediately on the mandatory one-month pre-retirement workshop/seminar.
“For the remaining two months, retiring officers are expected to take necessary measures to put their records straight so as to facilitate the speedy processing of their retirement benefits.”
A source said: “There is a plot to reverse the appointment of Ogunjimi by turning the Public Service Rules upside down.
“The new AG-F has collected his letter of appointment, but he has been locked out of the office because the retiring AGF insisted that her tenure will end on March 7. To avoid conflict, the Office of the HoCSF has sent an advisory to the president to stay action on Ogunjimi’s appointment.
“Going by the Federal Government Service Rules, former AG-F is expected to hand over and proceed on pre-retirement leave. But the new AG-F is kept in limbo and asked to wait for three months before the assumption of duties.
‘The President was courteous enough to accord the former AG-F statutory respect, but she is trying to turn the rules upside down.
“By the Presidential announcement of a new AG-F, Madein’s tenure has ended.It will amount to living in a fool’s paradise to assume that she is still the AG-F.
“Barrister Danladi Kifasi was Head of Service under Buhari. He gave three months’ notice and retired. There is a need for consistency and time to eschew nepotism.”
● Salary crisis looms as controversy rocks OAGF
This crisis may delay the payment of the December salaries for federal workers. It was learnt on Wednesday.
Investigations by The Nation showed that workers in the OAGF are sharply divided between loyalists of Madein and Ogunjimi.
It was gathered that Madein’s loyalists have reportedly prevented Ogunjimi from assuming duties, forcing him to operate from his previous position as Director of Funds.
The impasse between the rival camps is hampering operations at the OAGF, where the AGF’s role is crucial for approving salary payments and disbursements to ministries, departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
With less than a week to Christmas, the gridlock has reportedly disrupted fund releases, raising concerns among civil servants who are eagerly awaiting their December salaries.
An official of the OAGF described the situation as precarious, warning that the ongoing controversy could escalate if not promptly resolved.
Efforts to obtain an official comment were unsuccessful, as the OAGF’s spokesperson, Mr. Bawa Mokwa said he was attending a retreat in Kaduna and was unable to address the issue.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on December 10th, appointed Ogunjimi as the Acting Accountant General of the Federation (AG-F).
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga said: “His (Ogunjimi) appointment is effective immediately following the pre-retirement leave of the incumbent AG-F, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein.”
[Credit: The Nation]
News
FG announces April deadline for completion of East-West Road

The Federal Government has directed the contractor handling the Eleme section of the East-West Road to expedite drainage work to meet the April deadline for completion.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, issued the directive during an inspection of the ongoing 15km road upgrade from Eleme Junction to Onne in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.
While commending Reynolds Construction Company Nigeria Limited for the quality of work done, Umahi insisted that the drainage must be prioritised to ensure timely completion.
“RCC has done very well. The work completed in the past two months is more than what was done since the project started. However, the project slowed down significantly when the site manager went on leave. I’m happy to see him back and satisfied with the quality of work RCC is delivering,” Umahi stated.
He emphasised the need to test existing road shoulders before excavation, warning against unnecessary digging for financial gains.
“The existing shoulder has to be tested throughout. I don’t want them digging up areas filled with sharp sand and stone base just to increase costs. If they don’t test it and request approval for any section they dig, they won’t get paid,” he warned.
Umahi also observed that drainage construction had either stopped or slowed significantly, urging the contractor to redesign and precast drainage systems for quicker installation, even during the rainy season.
“I’m happy with the project’s progress, and I believe they will complete the carriageway by the end of April. However, if drainage work is not completed, the project remains unfinished. They must accelerate drainage work to ensure we clear this carriageway by April,” he stated.
The minister further directed that any section of the road that has remained untouched for 21 days after concrete casting should be opened to commuters to ease traffic congestion.
“Anywhere that has stayed 21 days since concrete was cast should be opened to road users, starting today. This concrete technology will ensure the road lasts between 50 and 100 years without maintenance or reconstruction. It is a signature project of President Bola Tinubu,” he added.
Umahi also inspected the rehabilitation of the Enugu-Port Harcourt dual carriageway, Section IV (Aba–Port Harcourt), which is being handled by the Chinese Construction Engineering Company.
News
Reasons behind extreme heat conditions in FCT, Niger, Kogi – NiMet

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has given reasons for the high temperatures residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Niger, Kogi and few other states are currently experiencing.
The current maximum temperature in the listed states is 40°C and the minimum is 23°C.
The Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) released last month by the agency shows that most of the northern and central states would record day-time temperatures ranging between 37°C and 40°C, while parts of Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, and Plateau states in the North as well as Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, Edo, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, part of Cross River and Delta states in the South are expected to record temperatures ranging between 34°C and 37°C this month.
The agency attributed the high temperatures to climate change and advised Nigerians to embrace a lifestyle switch.
Residents of the states experiencing high temperatures are advised to avoid exposure to direct sunlight between noon and 3 p.m.
There are also indications that this year may be hotter than last year, which was described as the hottest year.
NiMet’s Director of Weather Services, Prof. Vincent Weli, announced this while speaking on phone with The Nation yesterday. He said: “Everything is embedded in the climate change theory. Every experience we are having now is a result of climate change. The hotness, in general, is because of climate change.
“Abuja, Lokoja, and Minna are located within the same ecological zone and these towns share the same weather pattern. Whatever happens to Lokoja will affect Minna and Abuja because they are in the same route of the flow of wind and also lie within the same climatic zone. Also, these towns have the same vegetation pattern.
“So, since they are within the same climatic belt, everything that affects Minna and the FCT will affect Lokoja accordingly. The heat is affecting everywhere, not just these towns mentioned. We said last year was the hottest in the history of the earth but this year already is trying to beat it to become the hottest.
“So, as the year increases, it’s obvious that we are going to have higher temperatures. I don’t know where we are headed with this trend, but something needs to be done to reverse the trend.”
To make the best of the situation, Prof. Weli said: “What can reverse the trend is for us to encourage every activity of man that will reduce the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, such as the use of electric cars, solar power and planting of trees.
“These will be other sources of energy other than the use of diesel and petrol and other hydrocarbon compounds that we use as sources of power. Also, we should plant more trees to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The more we plant trees, the more we reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the more we increase the oxygen.”
The NiMet director urged residents of the affected states with high temperatures to take necessary action to overcome the hot weather.
He said: “In order not to experience what we call heat stroke, people should drink more water often, keep themselves off the direct impact of sunlight between 12 p.m (noon) and 3 p.m. If people do not expose their bodies to the direct impact of sunlight, it will reduce water loss from the system.
“So, people should drink more water than necessary. Otherwise, their systems will be dehydrated, and that will cause secondary health issues.”
News
JAMB begins sales of 2025 direct entry forms March 12

Registration for this year’s Direct Entry (DE) form will begin tomorrow, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said.
The board said the registration process is crucial for those who possess degrees, diplomas, or A-Level certificates and wish to advance their education at their preferred universities.
JAMB’s Public Communications Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, announced this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.
The statement said the announcement for the commencement of the DE sales followed the successful conclusion of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) application sales, which ended on Saturday, March 8.
“During this period, JAMB recorded a total of 2,030,627 registrations for the 2025 UTME, along with 200,115 for the Mock-UTME and 630 applications for the trial mock,” the statement said.
It added: “JAMB has emphasised the importance of adhering to all entry requirements, warning that serious penalties will be imposed on applications containing false declarations. A special committee will verify all submitted Advanced A-Level Qualifications, and any fraudulent results will lead to prosecution. Additionally, institutions are encouraged to directly verify certificates before considering admissions.
“Registration can only be done at JAMB Professional Registration Centres (PRC).”
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