The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has issued a fresh seven-day summons to officials of the six Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory over unresolved audit queries involving about N100 billion. The committee took the decision after the chairmen of the councils failed to appear before lawmakers to explain the financial issues raised in audit reports. The affected councils are Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali.
The council chairmen had requested September 22, 2026, as the date for their appearance before the committee. However, they did not attend the sitting and did not send representatives to speak on their behalf. Following the latest absence, the committee has turned its attention to senior administrative and financial officials of the councils. The Directors of Personnel Management and Finance, as well as the Heads of Audit of the six councils, have been ordered to appear before the committee on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Bamidele Salam, disclosed the decision while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday. He said the committee had given the councils an opportunity to appear after they requested a new date but were disappointed when none of the chairmen showed up. Salam warned that failure to honour the latest invitation could lead to sanctions under the relevant service rules.
The matter is linked to the Annual Audit Report of the Auditor-General for the Six FCT Area Councils for the financial year ended December 31, 2021. The report raised questions about several financial transactions and obligations recorded by the councils. Among the issues highlighted was an outstanding liability of about N7.65 billion. The amount was linked to unremitted pension deductions, Pay As You Earn, Value Added Tax and withholding tax.
The distribution of the liabilities showed that Abuja Municipal Area Council had the highest figure at N2.19 billion. Bwari followed with N1.49 billion, while Kwali recorded N1.46 billion. Gwagwalada had outstanding liabilities of about N1.01 billion. Kuje accounted for N892.2 million, while Abaji recorded N593.8 million. The audit report said the outstanding sums were expected to be remitted to relevant government agencies.
The committee is also examining how the councils handled their expenditure during the period under review. According to the audit findings, the six councils spent a combined N24.87 billion on personnel, overheads and capital expenditure in 2021. The lawmakers are seeking detailed explanations and supporting documents for the spending, with particular attention on the capital expenditure component.
The concerns before the committee are not limited to the 2021 financial year. Salam said the committee had also identified issues in audit reports covering 2022 and part of 2023. These include alleged understatement of Internally Generated Revenue, unauthorised disposal of assets, failure to disclose statutory revenue and non-remittance of withholding tax to the appropriate authorities.
Key points
- The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has summoned officials of six Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory over unresolved audit queries involving about N100 billion.
- The audit report raised questions about several financial transactions and obligations recorded by the councils, including an outstanding liability of about N7.65 billion.
- The committee is also examining how the councils handled their expenditure during the period under review, with the six councils spending a combined N24.87 billion on personnel, overheads and capital expenditure in 2021.
