Concerns and mixed feelings have gripped the Central Business District Abuja Audit House Complex Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (AuGF) as its Chief Executive and 10th substantive post-independence Nigerian indigenous Auditor-General for the Federation, Mr. Samuel Tyonongo Ukura, takes a bow from service in less than two weeks’ time without securing the new audit law.

The new audit law aims at repealing the obsolete Audit Act of 1956 to confer the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF) with full financial and establishment autonomy to combat corruption in public life in the country unfettered.

At the weekend in Abuja, some senior workers at the Audit House expressed mixed feelings amid plans by Mr. Ukura to bow out of service without an established succession plan, with some calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to extend his service by six months which is within the powers of the President to do to await the passage and assent to the Audit Law to avert any succession crisis outcome as it has always been the case in the past.

One of them, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “My worry as the AuGF is retiring without the new audit law which would have spelt out conditions and requirement of a successor is what will happen after June 5. As of now, there is no circular on who is to take over and like in the past, I know it’s going to spill controversy and ultimately affect our audit work and if care is not taken, remove the achievement recorded by Mr. Ukura and take us 20 years back.

But, another member of staff reasoned differently and said the office of the Auditor-General has capable hands who can hold the office in acting capacity till the President nominates a candidate for the post and subsequent confirmation by the National Assembly.

“Yes, it’s true that in the past, there have been infighting between directors, sometimes leading to petitions, but eventually somebody leads and the work goes on. I don’t think this time, it would be different,” the official said.