FG begins appointment process for new Accountant-General, permanent secretaries in Nigeria 

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, announced this in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday through the Director of Information and Public Relations, Mrs. Eno Olotu.

According to Walson-Jack, the selection process will involve a written examination conducted by a top Federal Government security agency. The examination questions will be set and marked by serving and retired permanent secretaries.

“Observers from civil society organisations, the private sector, professional bodies, Department of State Services (DSS) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) will oversee the exercise,” she said 

The position of Accountant-General will become vacant upon the retirement of the incumbent in March 2025.

Similarly, vacancies for permanent secretaries arose following the retirement of the permanent secretary from Oyo State and an impending vacancy in the North-West geopolitical zone.

Walson-Jack emphasized that the selection process, approved by President Bola Tinubu, would be structured and multi-tiered to ensure that only competent and credible individuals are appointed.

The process is open to serving Grade Level 17 officers in the mainstream of the Federal Civil Service. Eligible candidates must have held their current positions for at least two years and have expressed interest in participating in the selection process.

“Candidates will undergo a series of screenings, including verification by their respective permanent secretaries and the Accountant-General to ensure they are not under disciplinary procedures,” she explained. 

The Career Management Office (CMO) in the Office of the HCSF will generate a list of eligible candidates, which will then be further screened by a Committee of Permanent Secretaries.

“The process will be under the observation of the ICPC and DSS,” she added. 

The Federal Government has set February 17, 2025, as the deadline for civil servants to validate their identity on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

However, many applicants have been unable to access the portal, which has either displayed an error message such as “This site can’t be reached, Err_connection_refused” or “502 bad gateway.”