The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has ordered an immediate forensic audit of the Forum’s finances following allegations of irregular management of its Endowment Fund.
The resolution was reached at the NEC meeting held in Kaduna on Wednesday after deliberations on an interim report submitted by the Forum’s Code of Conduct and Ethics Committee (CCEC).
The report stemmed from a petition filed by ACF member Murtala Abubakar against the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT), Bashir Dalhatu, over alleged constitutional breaches and financial misconduct.
According to the communiqué issued after the meeting and signed by ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad Baba, the allegations centred on the movement and management of funds generated through the Endowment Fund.
The petition alleged that proceeds from the fund were transferred from the Forum’s official account in Kaduna to a Jaiz Bank branch in Kano without following due constitutional process.
It further claimed that about N1.4 billion from the Endowment Fund was moved into an investment account on the instruction of the BOT chairman.
The petitioner also accused Dalhatu of inserting himself as a signatory to ACF accounts and exercising direct control over the Forum’s finances, contrary to the provisions of the ACF constitution.
Presenting the committee’s interim findings, CCEC Chairman Prof. Nuhu Jamo said the committee found that the constitution clearly assigns the power to manage and disburse ACF funds to designated officers.
Jamo noted that the constitution vests custody and disbursement of funds in the Treasurer, while the Secretary General serves as the accounting officer.
“The constitution provides no role for the BOT chairman or any other official over the Forum’s funds beyond oversight responsibilities,” the report stated.
The committee warned that any assumption of direct control over Forum finances by the BOT chairman would amount to a gross violation of the constitution and fiduciary principles.
After deliberations, NEC unanimously adopted the committee’s recommendations, including the immediate commencement of a comprehensive forensic audit of ACF finances.
The Forum cited fresh evidence in the form of a letter allegedly written by Dalhatu to Jaiz Bank on November 20, 2025, requesting the transfer of an account to another branch in Kano.
NEC said the development further heightened concerns over the management of the Endowment Fund and justified urgent financial scrutiny.
The committee also recommended disciplinary measures against the BOT chairman pending the outcome of the investigations.
The NEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability, and constitutional governance within the Forum.
It added that the ACF remained united and determined to protect its institutional integrity and public credibility.
