The House of Representatives has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to promptly appoint a substantive Auditor-General for the area councils as required by law.
This directive came during a session of the Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday. Lawmakers noted that the absence of a permanent Auditor-General has delayed the signing and submission of audited financial reports, which is a constitutional obligation.
During the session, the Acting Auditor-General for the Area Councils, Abdullahi Ibn Salihu, presented his report to the committee. However, Bamidele Salam, the committee chairman, stressed the urgency of the matter, highlighting the importance of filling the position to ensure accountability and compliance with financial regulations.
Salam pointed out that when the House resumed in October 2023, the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation had been vacant for about two years due to former President Muhammadu Buhari’s delay in making an appointment. This had resulted in the non-submission of audit reports. He emphasized that the House must act similarly in the FCT case and seek an explanation from the minister for the delay in appointing a substantive Auditor-General.
The motion for Wike’s intervention was moved by Obordor Mitema and seconded by Usman Bala. It was unanimously supported by committee members.
During the session, Salihu explained that many of the financial irregularities identified were from previous administrations, as he has only been serving in an acting capacity for six months. These irregularities include the non-submission of audited financial reports for 2023-2024, failure to remit pension deductions to the Pension Commission (PENCOM), and non-submission of existing audit reports to the committee.
Lawmaker Billy Osawaru urged the committee to enforce legal measures against the Office of the Auditor-General, stressing the need to prevent financial mismanagement and ensure strict adherence to audit laws.
To investigate these issues thoroughly, the committee established a five-member sub-committee led by Tochukwu Okere. The sub-committee is tasked with examining the identified infractions and making appropriate recommendations. Other members of the sub-committee are Ajiya Abdulrahman, Mandara Usman, Mauruff Adebayo, and Mohammed Bargaja.
