House of Representatives directs Wike to fill FCT Auditor-General position

The House of Representatives has directed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to quickly appoint a significant Auditor-General for the area councils, in line with legal provisions.

According to reports, the resolution was passed during a session of the public Accounts Committee on Tuesday, where lawmakers noted that the absence of a significant Auditor-General had slowed down the signing and delivery of audited financial reports, as required by the constitution.

During the meeting, the Acting Auditor-General for the Area Councils, Abdullahi Ibn Salihu, delivers a speech  before the committee. Nevertheless, committee chairman Bamidele Salam highlights the need for crucial action to address the situation.

“Colleagues, I think we should also step into this. When we resumed in October 2023, the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation was vacant for about two years.

“The former President, Muhammadu Buhari, refused to make an appointment. And so, audit reports were not submitted. When we came in, myself and the Senate counterpart decided to write letters to the President and make some advocacy, which led to the appointment of a substantive Auditor-General,” Salam stated.

He also stated that if the dilemma in the FCT remains unsettled, the House must step in and call the minister to explain the hold up in appointing a substantive Auditor-General.

A resolution calling for Wike to take action was proposed by Obordor Mitema and seconded by Usman Bala. The committee members uniformly approved the motion.

Responding to questions regarding the financial reports of the area councils, Acting Auditor-General Abdullahi Ibn Salihu explained that most of the financial abnormalities were committed by previous administrations, as he has only held the acting position for six months.

Some of the key offense recognized include the failure to submit audited financial reports for 2023-2024, non-remittance of pension deductions to the Pension Commission (PENCOM), and the failure to present available audit reports to the committee.