By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
There appears to be division among the staff of the Office of Auditor-General of the Federation, following the appointment of Anthony Mkpe Ayine by President Muhammadu Buhari to occupy the office.

Buhari has already forwarded the name of Ayine to the Senate for confirmation after his excellent performance in an interview for the job and his record when he was the Auditor-General of Local Government in Cross River State.

It was alleged that a group  within the Office of the AuGFoperating under the name “Coalition of members of Staff and Organised Labour of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation”,  had petitioned the Senate opposing the confirmation of Ayine because he was not a staff of the office.

But another set of staff in the AuGF, “Concerned Integrity Group”, commended President Buhari for appointing Ayine for the position, describing him as a man of integrity that will block all financial loopholes in the system.

Members of the latter group alleged that “those opposed to the confirmation of Ayine are members of a small group within the system who had lobbied for one of their own to emerge with ulterior motives.”

“But because Ayine is a no-nonsense man, they are not comfortable with his nomination because he will spoil the market for them,” one of the members of  Concerned Integrity group stated.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that Ayine had carried out some cleansing at the Cross River State Local Government Pension Board where he discovered about N8 million fraud in the system and he immediately petitioned the state House of Assembly.

He also sent the petition, dated, September 8, 2015 to Governor Ben Ayade.

Ayine was quoted to have alleged that the pension board manipulated the payment of pension and gratuity to the beneficiary of a dead official who served for 32 years in the Office of the Auditor-General.

Ayine’s appointment and request for confirmation was contained in a letter by the President to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

Buhari noted in the letter read by Saraki to his colleagues that Section 86(1) of 1999 Constitution (as amended) states that the Auditor-General for the Federation shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Federal Civil Service Commission subject to confirmation by the Senate.