AbdulRazaq appoints first cousin, AbdulGaniyu Sani Accountant General

By Mike Adeyemi
More facts have continued to emerge over the intrigues and permutation played out into the emergence of a financial expert. AbdulGaniyu Sani, as the new Kwara State Accountant General, National Pilot learnt.
This development has validated this medium’s earlier report that Gov. AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq was set to announce family members as Accountant-General and Chief of Staff.
The appointment of Sani, a chartered accountant, was made public in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye on Monday. The statement claimed that the new appointee, beat three others in the job placement screenings to get the top job.
This medium reliably gathered that the newly appointed Kwara State Accountant General, AbdulGaniyu Sani is the first cousin of Gov. AbdulRaman AbdulRasaq’s maternal side.
According to the report, Sani was not the only one slated for post earlier, there is another Yusuf Lawal from the same father’s side with the governor.
The governor’s late father, AGF AbdulRasaq and Yusuf Lawlal’s mother are of the same mother, but not of the same father. Yusuf Lawal was reportedly penciled for the post of the Chief of Staff, but he was dropped for allegedly being arrogant, as he would not subject himself to the governor.
However, the newly Accountant General, AbdulGaniyu Sani, has vowed to discharge his duty diligently without any favor. He said he is ready for the task ahead of him and will frown at anything that would jeopardise his job.
It would be recalled that National Pilot in its last edition affirmed that strong indications emerged that the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq may make fresh appointments into his cabinet this week.
Our medium learnt that members of the governor’s family have been penciled down for juicy political appointments.
National Pilot affirmed that this decision may not be unconnected with the grouse of some relatives of the governor under the aegis of Yerimisa Youth of Idi-Igba, the family compound of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in Adewole, Ilorin West Local Government Area, who attacked him in an open letter that dripped with venom over alleged abandonment and neglect since he got into office.
According to sources, who craved anonymity, the stage is set for the announcement of a member of his family as the Accountant General of the State.
National Pilot gathered that barring any last minute changes, the appointment would be made public this week.
It was revealed to this medium that the Governor is considering Abdulganiyu Sani, for the position.
Sani, a chartered accountant works at the New Nigeria Development Company in Abuja.
Similarly, the long wait for the appointment of the Chief of Staff may come to an end this week as the Governor is set to fill the vacant position with a member of his family.
Although three names have popped up for the much coveted seat, but the pendulum may likely swing in favour of the Governor’s cousin, Alhaji Funsho Abdulrazaq.
There have been pressures on Gov Abdulrazaq to fill the vacuum created by the death of the former Chief of Staff, Dr. Aminu Logun.
According to impeccable source, the governor and his siblings, Isiaka AbdulRazaq, Alimi AbdulRazaq and Khairat Gwadabe were divided over the choice of replacement for the late Chief of Staff, who died at the age of 71 in 2020.
It would be recalled that sometime last year; there was news of the purported appointment of Prince Abdulkadir Mahe, a retired Permanent Secretary, as the CoS even when there was no official statement to back up the claim.
Mahe, it was gathered is the choice candidate of the governor’s siblings, Isiaka Abdulrazaq and Khairat while Alimi is rooting for Dr. Ghali Alaaya for the office.
However, the governor, it was learnt, preferred Funsho Abdulrazaq over his siblings’ choice of candidates, because of his unalloyed loyalty to him.
Efforts to get reaction of the government or some of the siblings were not successful last night before this paper went to bed.
This medium also reliably gathered that the governor would send another names of commissioner- nominees to the state House of Assembly for ratification.
The nominees are Abu Sheko from Baruten Local Government Area and Folaranmi Tajudeen who hails from Offa. However, the names of the other two nominees could not be ascertained last night.
The governor late last year sacked all his commissioners and operated without a cabinet for about five months before making fresh appointments.
The governor has since then been making appointment into political offices in the state piecemeal.
Meanwhile, reactions have continued to trail the appointment of AbdulGaniyu Sani as the new Accountant General to the Kwara State Government.
Sani was announced on Tuesday through an official release by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye.
Speaking with our reporter on Tuesday, an embattled member of Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Raheem Agboola said the appointment of AbdulGaniyu Sani could have been alright if he did not make it family affairs.
“What am hearing is that the new Accountant-General is a cousin to the governor. What really matters is the performance of that office.
“If they take it as personal and family affair, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practises and other Offences Commission (ICPC), are there to pick them,” Agboola said.
Also, a factional member of All Progressive Congress in the state, Comrade. AbdulRauf Bello, said the appointment of AbdulGaniyu Sani is a gross act of nepotism by the AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq led administration.
“The appointment of his cousin is wrong. It is nepotism. Its immorality and it is something that should be condemned in its entirety.
“The provision of due diligence in the appointment of people into such post is being defeated. AbdulRasaq has turned Kwara State into open grazing ground where himself and his family can just graze. It is unethical, ” Bello said.
Similarly, former Youth Leader of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, who is a Prince from Kiama, Haliru Dantsoho Mahmud, described the appointment of AbdulGaniyu Sani as not a surprise to him.
“The appointment of the new Accountant General did not come to us as a surprise. This is because this government is a government of AbdulRasaq for AbdulRasaq family”, Datsoho stressed.
A member of APC in the state, who spoke with our medium on the condition of anonymity, said the governor had already settled for his cousin on the appointment of Accountant-General despite the fact that he subjected people to interview on the job.
“The jostling for the post of Accountant General was made public by the government despite that they had already known whom they would give the post to. It is quite unfortunate,” he said.
Also speaking, the ENetSuD Coordinator, Dr Abdulateef Alagbonsi said, it is very difficult for him as a person to criticize the appointment because he lacks details on the appointment.
“There is something we call external and internal advertisement. For example COED, Ilorin internal staff an external people applied for the position of registrar. But the Accountant General internal can apply, external can apply but if we can get any proof that the internal staff that applied qualified to be number one in the interview and outsider happened to be third position and the appointment was given to the outsider who is third position, then it’s questionable. But we are yet to see anyone to come out among the insider that they scored higher mark than the outsider who happened to be governor’s cousin.
“We have not seen any lapses to allege that there is favouritism in that appointment. The government made us believe that the person appointed as Accountant General scored higher mark. In the absence of information that he was favoured to be the best in the interview and appointed as the Accountant General, it is difficult to criticize the appointment for now until we get information to prove that he is not qualified but favoured because he is the cousin of governor. We have not seen the co- applicants to complain.”
One of the lawyers in Ilorin, Sheu Salahudeen Ismail explained that , there is no law restraining that person to become Accountant-General in as much as he qualifies. He can be cousin of governor or anyone unless they fail to follow normal procedure, as much as the person is from Kwara State. There is no how we will not relate it to be influential. Favouritism and nepotism in Nigeria; there is no how we can do without these in Nigeria. It has been part of Nigeria. If 1000 candidates apply for a position few will be chosen because they are influential. That’s the problem we are facing in this country.
“If someone fights a post and the person contests for it, nothing stops him until if he fails to meet up with the requirements of the law.”
Ismael further said that, the position of Accountant-General is equivalent to Permanent Secretary, adding that the person that will hold that position must be career officer.
“You can’t bring someone outside to become Accountant General unless law backs it up.