JOSTLE BEGINS FOR DANKWAMBO'S JOB

Lobbying has begun for the position of Accountant-General of Federation as the incumbent Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo is resigning soon to seek PDP's governorship nomination in Gombe State, a senior government official told Daily Trust in Abuja last night.

Dankwambo was first appointed for a term of four years in April 2005, and he got a tenure renewal last year. He is now among the leading governorship aspirants for the PDP in Gombe, and the laws require civil servants to resign before standing for elections.

Attempts to get comments from Dankwambo failed last night because he did not answer calls put through to his cell phone, and also did not reply to a text message sent to him.

A source told Daily Trust that the presidency is now considering some names for appointment to replace the outgoing accountant-general.

The source said a Northerner is most likely to be appointed because Dankwambo has not exhausted his tenure, and also because of the recent appointment of a new head of service from the South to replace a retiring southerner.

Among the likely persons tipped to replace Dankwambo are the director of finance and accounts at the Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Idris Gatumbwa Mamman; Mr. Ibrahim Tumsa of the Federal Ministry of Works, and Alhaji Yusuf Agabi.

Mamman is from Borno State, while Agabi is from Nasarawa State.