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Kenya’s Peter Mathuki Appointed as Head of EAC Secretariat

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Kenya Peter Mathuki

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

Kenya’s Peter Mutuku Mathuki has been appointed to head the East African Community (EAC), the regional bloc that brings East African countries under one umbrella.

Mr Mathuki replaces Burundi’s Liberat Mfumukeko, whose five-year term ended in early 2021. The post is usually rotational for five years.

As Secretary-General of the regional bloc, his key tasks include regional development, increasing inter-regional trade and to address investment possibilities for both potential internal and external investors.

According to his profile, Mr Mathuki has worked as Executive Director at the East African Business Council and consequently emerged as the top candidate for the position.

Over the years, he has been dealing with the corporate business sector and believed to have sufficient experience and contacts useful to address incessant wrangles in the East African Community.

Mr Mathuki previously served as a member of the East African Legislative Assembly, chairing the Committee on Legal Affairs and Good Governance as well as Accounts, Trade and Investment.

He has held political positions in Kenya and in international bodies including the International Labour Standards at the former International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU-Africa), now ITUC-Africa, which he served as director. He was also a consultant for European Union programmes in Kenya.

The appointee comes on board as the African continent implements the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) agreement, where he has been involved in the creation of the nascent African Business Council. Trading under this AfCFTA began on January 1, 2021, and opens up more opportunities for both local African and foreign investors from around the world.

He was taken on as a rectification strategy by Kenya, following a low-key leadership by Mfumukeko. Under his term, countries routinely skipped summits and member states wrangled over tariffs and political accusations. His secretariat faced financial constraints as member states delayed remitting their membership dues and donors reduced funding following allegations of corruption.

The latest report from the East African Community Secretariat for this year shows, for example, that South Sudan is the most indebted member of the EAC. It owes $24.6 million in funding towards the main budget even though it should pay up to $32.4 million including this year’s dues. It should also pay $2.8 million to the Inter-University Council of East Africa and another US$345,000 to the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization.

The main budget usually funds the operations of the EAC Secretariat, the East African Court of Justice, the East African Legislative Assembly and other bodies dealing with specified fields. The Secretary-General is the principal executive and accounting officer of the community as well as the secretary of the summit and serves for a fixed period of five years.

The East African Community (EAC) first collapsed and was revived in November 1999 to strengthen ties between the members through a common market, a common customs tariff, and a range of public services to achieve balanced economic growth within the region.

Under the current Chairman, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, many businesses and market players perceive positively the region as stable for long-term beneficial business, investment and trade. Some political, social and economic challenges still remain to be addressed, though.

With a combined population estimated at 183 million, the region is relatively large. The East African Community is an intergovernmental organization composed of six countries in the Great Lakes region in Eastern Africa. The members are Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

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Tinubu Appoints Ogunjumi Acting Accountant General as Madein Retires

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Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi

By Adedapo Adesanya

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Mr Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi as the Acting Accountant General of the Federation (AGF).

This was contained in a statement on Tuesday by presidential spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga.

“His appointment is effective immediately following the pre-retirement leave of the incumbent AGF, Mrs Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein,” a part of the statement read.

“In announcing Madein’s successor, President Tinubu ensures a seamless transition in the administration of Nigeria’s treasury and consolidates the implementation of the present administration’s treasury policy reforms,” the statement added.

Mr Onanuga said Mr Ogunjimi brings over 30 years of extensive experience in financial management across the public and private sectors.

He described the appointee as a career civil servant and the most senior director in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF),

“He has held significant positions, including Director of Funds at the OAGF and Director of Finance and Accounts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“A chartered accountant, certified fraud examiner, chartered stockbroker, and chartered security and investment specialist, Mr Ogunjimi’s academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Accountancy and a Master’s in Finance and Accounting,” the statement added.

According to Mr Onanuga, President Tinubu expressed his confidence in his appointment, saying, “The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation is pivotal to our nation’s treasury management operations. Mr Ogunjimi’s wealth of experience and notable competence will ensure the continued effectiveness of this vital institution as we advance our economic reform agenda.”

President Tinubu also commended the outgoing Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs Madein, for her dedication and selfless service to the nation.

After reaching the civil service’s statutory retirement age, Mrs Madein is retiring effective March 7, 2025.

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CBN Denies Forceful Mass Retirement Amid Restructuring

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CBN IMTOs

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has dismissed claims of forced mass retirement as part of efforts by Governor Yemi Cardoso to restructure the workforce of the organisation.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Mrs Hakama Sidi Ali, clarified that its Early Exit Package (EEP) is entirely voluntary and without any negative repercussions for eligible staff.

According to the statement, the decision to implement the exercise was the outcome of extensive consultations with the bank’s Joint Consultative Council (JCC), a body representing staff interests.

Mrs Sidi Ali explained that the EEP, a longstanding policy previously accorded to the executive cadre, has now been made available to eligible staff at all levels.

“For some time, staff representatives through the JCC had called on management to approve the early exit package for all cadres. Following these discussions, management decided to meet this popular demand,” she said in the statement.

Addressing concerns about potential repercussions for staff who decline the package, Mrs Sidi Ali reaffirmed management’s commitment to supporting employees’ professional growth and well-being, describing the concerns as unfounded.

She further emphasized that the initiative is an internal corporate matter designed to promote career development for staff.

According to wide spread reports, there have been plans to retire approximately 1,000 employees by the end of the year with a payoff estimated to cost over N50 billion.

The mass retirement, which was announced in a circular issued three weeks ago, mandates affected employees to apply for the Early Exit Package (EEP).

The statement allegedly warned employees with less than one year of service or unconfirmed appointments to refrain from applying for the program, noting that the application would remain open until December 7, with an effective exit date of December 31, 2024.

It was reported that the entire EEP was valued at N50 billion.

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CBN Okays Appointment of Benson Ogundeji as Greenwich Merchant Bank CEO

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Benson Ogundeji Greenwich Merchant Bank CEO

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved the appointment of Mr Benson Ogundeji as the chief executive of Greenwich Merchant Bank Limited.

The board of the financial institution for businesses had picked Mr Ogundeji as its substantive CEO but awaited the authorisation of the banking sector regulator.

He brings over three decades of extensive banking experience to this role as a seasoned financial services professional, who previously served as Executive Director at Greenwich Merchant Bank from July 2020, where he played a pivotal role in the bank’s successful transition from the legacy Greenwich Trust Limited to a merchant bank.

In this capacity, he provided oversight for Corporate Banking, Treasury and Global Markets.

Throughout his career, Mr Ogundeji has demonstrated exceptional expertise in business development and operational excellence.

Before joining the firm, he held various senior leadership roles at prominent financial institutions, including Ecobank Nigeria, GTBank, and other notable banks, where he consistently displayed exceptional leadership skills.

His appointment comes at a crucial time as Greenwich Merchant Bank commences the next phase of its growth plans. Having related closely with the new CEO, as an Executive Director and acting CEO in the last four years, the board has expressed confidence about his ability to lead the bank in delivering our strategic goals.

“The board is pleased to announce the appointment of Benson Ogundeji as our Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer,” the chairman of Greenwich Merchant Bank, Mr Kayode Falowo, stated.

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