Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The six Area Council chairmen in the Federal Capital Territory have again failed to appear before the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee over unresolved audit queries involving about N100 billion.
The chairmen of Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali had requested September 22, 2026, as the date for their appearance before the committee but failed to attend or send representatives.
The development prompted the committee to issue a fresh seven-day final summons to the Directors of Personnel Management and Finance, as well as Heads of Audit of the six councils.
The officials have been directed to appear before the committee on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, with the lawmakers warning that failure to honour the summons could attract sanctions under the relevant public service rules.
The audit queries stem from the Annual Audit Report of the Auditor-General for the Six FCT Area Councils for the year ended December 31, 2021.
According to the report, the six councils had outstanding liabilities of about N7.65 billion as of the end of 2021. The liabilities reportedly included unremitted pension deductions, Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE), Value Added Tax (VAT), withholding tax and unpaid obligations to contractors.
AMAC was reported to have the highest outstanding liability at about N2.19 billion, followed by Bwari with N1.49 billion and Kwali with N1.46 billion. Gwagwalada recorded about N1.01 billion, while Kuje and Abaji had approximately N892.2 million and N593.8 million respectively.
The committee is also examining expenditure of about N24.87 billion recorded by the six councils in 2021 for personnel, overheads and capital projects. The audit report reportedly raised concerns about how portions of the funds allocated to capital projects were utilised.
The Auditor-General also identified weaknesses in the councils’ management of fixed assets. In Gwagwalada, for instance, non-current assets valued at about N336 million were reportedly not properly documented in the council’s records, raising concerns over their traceability.
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Rep. Bamidele Salam, said the councils had repeatedly failed to honour invitations and provide documents required to resolve the audit queries.
Salam said the September 22 appearance date was specifically requested by the councils and granted by the committee, yet none of the chairmen appeared or sent representatives.
He said the committee consequently decided to summon the relevant Directors of Personnel Management and Finance and Heads of Audit to appear on October 14.
The lawmakers have also raised concerns over findings from the 2022 and part of the 2023 audit reports. These reportedly include alleged understatement of internally generated revenue, unauthorised disposal of assets, non-disclosure of statutory revenue and failure to remit withholding taxes to the appropriate authorities.
The committee further disclosed that the six councils had failed to audit and submit their financial accounts for 2023, 2024 and 2025, contrary to statutory requirements.
Salam said the Public Accounts Committee would continue to demand explanations and supporting documents from the councils, stressing that public funds must be managed with transparency, accountability and prudence.
The latest summons does not itself establish wrongdoing by any of the council chairmen. The audit queries are matters for the officials concerned to explain and for the appropriate authorities to determine based on the records and evidence presented.
The committee's action is intended to compel the relevant officials of the six FCT Area Councils to appear and provide answers and documents needed to resolve the outstanding audit issues.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments