By Aaron Ossai
The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has issued a final seven-day summons to the six Area Council chairmen of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over their repeated failure to appear before the committee to answer questions on alleged financial infractions contained in audit reports.
The committee said the councils were being questioned over audit queries involving about N100 billion, warning that officials who fail to honour the latest invitation would face sanctions in accordance with relevant service rules.
The affected councils are Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali.
The chairmen had requested September 22, 2026, for their appearance before the committee, but failed to attend or send representatives.
Following their absence, the committee summoned the Directors of Personnel Management and Finance, as well as Heads of Audit of the six councils, to appear on October 14, 2026.
Chairman of the PAC, Rep. Bamidele Salam, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, accusing the councils of repeatedly frustrating efforts to resolve the audit queries.
“The last date of appearance of the Abuja Area Councils was September 22, 2026, which was a date they requested for and which was graciously granted by the committee. Yet, they failed to appear or send in any representation.
“The committee has therefore decided to issue summons to the Directors of Personnel Management and Finance of these local governments, including their Heads of Audit, to appear without fail on Wednesday, October 14, failure of which they will be made to bear consequences according to service rules,” Salam said.
The audit queries are contained in the Annual Audit Report of the Auditor-General for the Six FCT Area Councils for the year ended December 31, 2021.
The report identified about N7.65 billion in outstanding liabilities arising from unremitted pension deductions, Pay As You Earn (PAYE), Value Added Tax (VAT), withholding tax and unpaid obligations to contractors.
AMAC recorded the highest outstanding liability at N2.19 billion, followed by Bwari with N1.49 billion and Kwali with N1.46 billion.
Gwagwalada had N1.01 billion, Kuje N892.2 million and Abaji N593.8 million.
The liabilities were reportedly due for remittance to the Nigeria Revenue Service, FCT Inland Revenue Service, Pension Fund Administrators and contractors.
The Auditor-General also faulted the councils for poor management of fixed assets, noting that asset registers were not properly maintained or updated.
Gwagwalada was specifically cited over non-current assets valued at N336 million whose ledger records were reportedly not properly maintained. The report warned that such lapses could facilitate the loss of public assets without detection, adding that the problem was common to the other councils.
The committee is also demanding explanations and supporting documents for N24.87 billion reportedly spent by the six councils on personnel, overheads and capital expenditure in 2021.
AMAC accounted for N5.03 billion, Gwagwalada N4.66 billion, Kuje N3.85 billion, Kwali N3.84 billion, Bwari N3.74 billion and Abaji N3.71 billion.
Salam said the committee had uncovered additional concerns in the 2022 and part of the 2023 audit reports, including alleged understatement of Internally Generated Revenue, unauthorised disposal of assets, non-disclosure of statutory revenue and failure to remit withholding tax to the appropriate authorities.
He also disclosed that the councils had failed to audit and submit their financial accounts for 2023, 2024 and 2025 as required by law.
The lawmaker stressed that public funds must be managed with transparency, accountability and prudence, warning that officials found culpable would be held responsible under the law.
The PAC is constitutionally empowered under the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to examine audited public accounts and investigate financial irregularities identified by the Auditor-General.
The latest summons is intended to compel the relevant officials of the six FCT Area Councils to appear before the committee and provide the documents and explanations needed to resolve the outstanding audit queries.
