Succession crisis hits Fiscal Responsibility Commission

Succession crisis has hit the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) following the expiration of tenure of its pioneer board in December 2013, Daily Trust learnt.

The commission’s former chairman and five commissioners who completed their five-year term on December 5 have since left. But they left behind controversy over who should take charge of the commission.

The post of acting chairman is now being contested between a commissioner, who remained behind because he had an additional year to end his tenure, and the secretary of the commission.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, appointed the secretary, Mr. Victor Muruako, as acting chairman, but the appointment is being challenged by Dr. Adewumi Abitoye, the commissioner representing South West. Abitoye told Daily Trust that since he was still a serving commissioner by law, he should be the natural successor to take charge as acting chairman. His tenure as commissioner ends March 2015.

“Before the pioneer board left, we all met and resolved that all the affairs of the commission should be handed over to me as the only full commissioner left until Mr. President will appoint new commissioners and new chairman.

“Since then, I am still waiting for the SGF to define my role in the commission, because technically and legally I am the most senior public officer in that commission. So it surprises everybody that they have to push me aside and install his man there, and that is the story,” he said.

Abitoye said he assumed duty as a commissioner a year and some months after the other commissioners who retired and therefore he still remains a commissioner.

He said the SGF was wrong to have appointed a junior officer to supervise the commission while his tenure was still subsisting. He said the argument that all the commissioners must go at the same time does not hold water because each commissioner is serving his tenure individually.

When contacted, the acting chairman of the commission, Mr. Muruako, said he does not want to join issues with anybody since he is appointed in acting position.

“As far as I am concerned, there is no any succession crisis in the commission and I still respect Dr. Abitoye as a father and a commissioner but one commissioner cannot make a board,” he said.

He said for now there is no commission until President Goodluck Jonathan decides to appoint new set of commissioners.