TI TASKS MIMIKO OVER AG'S APPOINTMENT

Dr. Olusegun Mimiko
The Ondo State chapter of Transparency International has urged Governor Olusegun Mimiko to follow due process in appointing a new auditor-general for local government councils in the state.

The group's position was contained in a letter sent to the governor and signed by its President, Mr. Olusegun Mayegun; and the Secretary-General, Mr. Victor Morwei, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent in Akure, the state capital on Wednesday.

TI asked the governor to publish the result of an interview conducted in February to fill the vacant position.

The state government, through the Office of the Head of Service and a government-appointed consultant, had in February conducted an interview to fill the vacant position following the retirement of the state's auditor-general in 2009.

The result of the interview is yet to be made public.

According to TI, instead of the office of the HoS to release the interview result and pave the way for the appointment of a new AG, the Acting AG, Mr. Victor Oyedeji, has been boasting to all and announcing that he has been confirmed as the substantive auditor-general.

'Victor Oyedeji boasted to all and sundry that he had been given the position of auditor-general for local government since December, 2009; and that the supposed interview was a smokescreen to fulfil all righteousness because he (Oyedeji) was a strong financier of the Labour Party in the state and a close ally of the governor and his Chief of Staff (Kola Ademujinmi), his confirmation was a fait-a compli,' the letter read in part.

Besides, the organisation said it was alarmed that there could be a flagrant disregard for due process in the appointment of the AG, while Oyedeji continued to sign memos/circulars as a substantive AG when the result of the interview to fill the position had not been made public.

TI, however, urged Mimiko to present his nominee, who might have excelled above others in the interview, to the Ondo State House of Assembly, which after a serious scrutiny, would confirm or reject such nominee before a substantive appointment as stipulated in Section 53(1) of the Amended Local Government Law of Ondo State, 2003.