By Abdulwahab Muhammad
The Bauchi State Auditor General, Ishaku Yankari, has dismissed recent online reports alleging the existence of “ghost vouchers” in the state’s financial records, describing the claim as misleading and inconsistent with standard audit terminology.
In a statement, Yankari clarified that while the term “ghost payees” is recognized in audit practice—referring to salaries paid to non-existent workers—there is no such concept as “ghost vouchers.” He stressed that all payment vouchers reviewed during the audit process had legitimate payees, proper documentation, and were duly captured in the approved budget.
The Auditor General also faulted the publication for wrongly identifying certain officials as accounting officers. He explained that statutory responsibility for accounting lies with Permanent Secretaries, not political appointees such as the Chief of Staff to the Government.
Yankari further debunked claims linking Dr. Aminu Gamawa to questionable vouchers, noting that no payment voucher bore his name. He emphasized that auditors are mandated to make observations and recommendations, not indictments.
On pension arrears, the Auditor General highlighted that Governor Bala Mohammed’s administration has approved a verification exercise to ensure the payment of gratuities to retirees. He expressed appreciation to the Bauchi State House of Assembly for its continued support in strengthening accountability and transparency in public finance.
End
