The House of Representatives has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to urgently appoint a substantive Auditor-General for the area councils in accordance with legal provisions.
The directive followed a resolution passed during a hearing by the Public Accounts Committee, which noted that the absence of a substantive Auditor-General had hindered the signing and submission of audited financial reports, as required by the constitution.
During the session, the Acting Auditor-General for the Area Councils, Abdullahi Ibn Salihu, presented his report, prompting the committee’s chairman, Bamidele Salam, to highlight the urgency of the matter.
Salam referenced a similar situation at the national level when the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation remained vacant for nearly two years under former President Muhammadu Buhari, delaying audit reports.
He recalled that advocacy efforts by lawmakers led to the eventual appointment of a substantive Auditor-General, stressing that the FCT situation required similar intervention.
Following his remarks, a motion was moved by Obordor Mitema and seconded by Usman Bala, which received unanimous approval from the House.
Earlier, while responding to inquiries about financial reports from the area councils, Salihu explained that many of the financial irregularities identified occurred before his tenure began six months ago.
Among the issues flagged were the failure to submit audited financial reports for 2023-2024, non-remittance of pension deductions to the Pension Commission (PENCOM), and the absence of audited reports from previous years.
Committee member Billy Osawaru emphasized the need to enforce accountability, insisting that such infractions must not be allowed to continue.
To further investigate the matter, the committee set up a five-member subcommittee chaired by Tochukwu Okere. Other members include Ajiya Abdulrahman, Mandara Usman, Mauruff Adebayo, and Mohammed Bargaja.
The subcommittee is expected to conduct a thorough review and present its recommendations.