FCT Minister Wike Urged To Appoint Auditor-General For Area Councils
By Dennis Udoma
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike has been urged to appoint a substantive Auditor-General for the Federal Capital Area Councils to address the administrative anomaly and flagrant abuse of public service rules.
A concerned Nigerian, Mr. Jacob Udobang made the appeal in a letter to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Monday.
He said, it is a breach of the Civil Service Laws and Standard Procedures to know that, the position of a substantive Auditor-General for FCT Area Councils has been vacant since September, 2023 without it being filled with a qualified senior personnel.
The letter is titled, “Continuous Absence of A Substantive Auditor-General of FCT Area Councils, Abuja For Two Years – Aberration and Gross Violation of Extant Public Service Laws and Standard Procedures Under Your Watch Is A Misnomer”.
He emphasized that, the appeal is the second time Chief Wike’s attention has been drawn to the issue posed by absent of an Auditor-General for the Area Councils, referring to an earlier correspondence, “Passionate Appeal for Urgent Intervention to Safeguard the Professional and Independence of the Office of Auditor – General for FCT Area Councils, Abuja”.
Mr. Udobang described the FCT Minister as an astute administrator, a man with undeniable stickler to due process and excellence in any position he finds himself, but urged him to take immediate action.
He said, his investigation for the past six months has revealed gross violations and fundamental breach of the Public Service Rules, Standard practice and procedures under Wike’s watch, as the officer acting in the capacity of Auditor-General since September 2023 was posted from the Area Councils against the laid down procedures.
According to him, “while the Deputy Director, who has been acting since September, 2023 was preparing for retirement, another staff from the Area Councils was posted as Director of Accounts, occupying the office of the Auditor-General since August 24, 2024 without legal instrument acting in error”.
