Reps Urge Wike to Appoint Substantive Auditor-General for FCT Area Councils

• The House of Representatives urged Minister Wike to appoint a substantive Auditor-General for FCT Area Councils

• The absence of an Auditor-General has delayed audited accounts submissions, mirroring past vacancies under former President Buhari

The House of Representatives has urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to promptly appoint a substantive Auditor-General for the Area Councils, in line with legal requirements.

The call was made during a session of the Public Accounts Committee following the adoption of a motion highlighting the impact of the vacant position.

The committee noted that the absence of a substantive Auditor-General has caused delays in signing and submitting audited accounts, as mandated by the Constitution.

Committee Chairman Bamidele Salam emphasized the need for urgent intervention, recalling a similar situation in 2023 when the Auditor-General for the Federation position remained vacant for two years under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

He explained that audit reports were not submitted during that period, and only after sustained efforts from the Senate was a new Auditor-General appointed.

“We should step into this. When we resumed in October 2023, the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation had been vacant for about two years. Former President Muhammadu Buhari refused to make an appointment, so audit reports were not submitted. When we came in, my Senate counterpart wrote letters to the President and made advocacy efforts, leading to the appointment of a substantive Auditor-General,” Salam stated.

He suggested taking a similar approach with Wike, including writing to the Minister and inviting him to explain the delay. He stressed that a resolution on the matter was essential.

Obordor Mitema (PDP, Bayelsa) moved the motion to urge Wike, which was seconded by Usman Bala.

During the session, Abdullahi Salihu, Acting Auditor-General for the Area Councils, provided an update on the office’s status. He noted that many of the financial infractions identified had occurred under previous administrations.

Salihu, who has served in an acting capacity for six months, listed key issues, including the non-submission of audited financial reports for 2023-2024, failure to remit pension deductions to the Pension Commission, and the non-submission of available audited reports to the committee.

In response, Billy Osawaru (APC, Edo) urged the committee to apply the law’s full force against the Auditor-General office for these breaches, emphasizing the need for accountability.

To further investigate the matter, a five-member subcommittee, chaired by Tochukwu Okere, was formed. Other members include Ajiya Abdulrahman, Mandara Usman, Mauruff Adebayo, and Mohammed Bargaja.

The session was attended by the Chairmen of the Abuja Municipal Area Council, Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, and Bwari Area Council, John Gabaya, while the Vice Chairmen of the Kuje and Kwali Area Councils represented their respective councils.