Mr Jonah Ogunniyi Otunla, who served as the Accountant General of the Federation between 2011 and 2015 has passed away at an undisclosed hospital in the United Kingdom. Otunla, who was also a onetime Accountant General of Oyo State died few days after his 69th birthday. Report says he only recently went to the United Kingdom to treat an ailment. He died in the early hours of yesterday, Monday June 17, according to report. The late Otunla was a big time businessman and owner of choice properties-including the Ventura Mall in Ibadan.
While alive, he faced prosecution from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He was hounded in connection with two cases — the alleged diversion of about N24 billion meant for disengaged staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and N2 billion allegedly received from the office of the national security adviser (ONSA). He made refunds to the Federal Government to the tune of a few billions of naira in the course of his prosecutions.
Jonah Ogunniyi Otunla OFR was born on 12 June 1955 in Oyo State. He was an accountant of note. Before his appointment as the Accountant General of the Federation, he was a board members of the CBN. He had his secondary education at Baptist High School, Saki where he obtained the West African School Certificate in 1972 before he proceeded to Obafemi Awolowo University where he got a Bachelor’s degree in Financial accounting.
He became a chartered accountant in 1986 and received the Fellowship of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) in 1998.