Reps Mandate Wike To Appoint Auditor-General For FCT Area Councils

ABUJA – The House of Representatives has directed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, to urgently appoint a substantive Auditor-General for the Area Councils in line with the provisions of the law.

The directive followed a resolution passed during the resumed hearing of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. The committee observed that the absence of an Auditor-General had created a vacuum that hindered the signing and transmission of audited financial reports to the National Assembly, as mandated by the constitution.

While receiving a presentation from the Acting Auditor-General for the Area Councils, Mr. Abdullahi Ibn Salihu, the Chairman of the Committee, Representative Bamidele Salam, noted the urgency of the matter and called for legislative intervention. This prompted a motion to be moved in response.

“Honourable colleagues, I believe we need to take action on this issue. As I mentioned earlier, when we resumed in October 2023, the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation had remained vacant for nearly two years. The previous administration, under President Muhammadu Buhari, failed to make an appointment, which meant that audit reports were not submitted during that period.

Recognizing the critical nature of this oversight, my counterpart in the Senate and I took the initiative to write letters to the President and engage in advocacy efforts. As a result, a substantive Auditor-General was eventually appointed,” Rep. Salam stated.

“If they have the same case, I believe we need to step in and summon the Minister. We may need to write to him and invite him to provide reasons for the delay. I think we should take action and pass a resolution on this matter,” Rep. Salam stated.

Following this, Hon. Obordor Mitema moved a motion, which was duly seconded by Hon. Usman Bala. The motion received unanimous support from the House members.

Earlier, while responding to questions from the committee on the financial report of area councils, Mr. Abdullahi clarified that most of the identified infractions occurred under previous administrations. He noted that he has only been in office for six months in an acting capacity.

Among the key infractions highlighted were the failure to submit audited financial reports for the 2023–2024 period, the non-remittance of pension deductions to the Pension Commission (PENCOM), and the failure to present available audited reports to the committee.

Hon. Billy Osawaru, in his contribution, urged the committee to invoke the full weight of the law against the Office of the Auditor General over the identified infractions. He emphasized that such violations must not be allowed to persist.

In response, the committee set up a five-member sub-committee, chaired by Hon. Tochukwu Okere, to conduct a thorough investigation and make necessary recommendations. Other members of the sub-committee include Hon. Ajiya Abdulrahman, Hon. Mandara Usman, Hon. Mauruff Adebayo, and Hon. Mohammed Bargaja.

Meanwhile, the FCT Area Council Chairmen present at the meeting included Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and Hon. John Gabaya of Bwari. The Kuje and Kwali Area Councils were represented by their vice chairmen.