President Bola Tinubu has appointed a new Auditor-General of the Federation in the person of Shaakaa Chira.
His appointment comes more than a year after the country’s former Auditor-General, Ahmed Idris, was suspended in connection with a N109 billion money laundering allegation.
Idris alongside three others – Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited – are being tried at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court.
President Tinubu’s media adviser, Ajuri Ngelale, said his principal appointed Chira to succeed Idris as substantive Auditor-General based on recommendation of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) and in line with the “powers vested in him by Section 86 of the 1999 Constitution (Amended)”.
Ngelale added, “The President approved Mr. Chira’s appointment after the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) conducted a screening exercise that identified Mr. Chira as the most qualified candidate who had also scored the highest in the examination amongst all qualified candidates for the office.
“President Bola Tinubu expects the new Auditor-General to justify the confidence reposed in him and to live up to the high expectations that Nigerians have concerning the execution of the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration.”