N100bn Audit Query: FCT Area Council Chairmen Shun Reps Again, Face Final Summons

The six Area Council Chairmen of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have again failed to appear before the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to answer questions over alleged financial infractions contained in audit reports involving about N100 billion.

The chairmen had requested September 22, 2026, as the date for their appearance before the committee but failed to attend or send representatives.

Consequently, the committee has issued a seven-day “final” summons to the Directors of Personnel Management and Finance, as well as Heads of Audit of the six councils, directing them to appear before the committee on October 14, 2026, or face sanctions in line with relevant service rules.

The affected councils are Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali.

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.

According to the report, the six councils had outstanding liabilities of about N7.65 billion arising from unremitted pension deductions, Pay As You Earn (PAYE), Value Added Tax (VAT) and withholding tax, as well as unpaid obligations to contractors.

AMAC accounted for the highest 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 Auditor-General said the liabilities were due for remittance to the Nigeria Revenue Service, FCT Inland Revenue Service, Pension Fund Administrators and contractors.

The report also faulted the councils over the management of their fixed assets, saying asset registers were not properly maintained and updated.

Gwagwalada Area Council was specifically cited over non-current assets valued at N336 million, which the report said were not properly recorded and updated, creating the risk of assets being lost without trace.

The committee is also demanding explanations and supporting documents on N24.87 billion 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.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Rep. Bamidele Salam, said the councils had repeatedly failed to honour invitations and provide documents needed to resolve the audit queries.

He said the September 22 date was granted at the councils’ own request, but none of the chairmen appeared or sent representatives.

> “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 committee chairman said further concerns had emerged from the 2022 and part of the 2023 audit reports, including alleged understatement of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), unauthorised disposal of assets, non-disclosure of statutory revenue and failure to remit withholding tax to the appropriate authorities.

Salam also disclosed that the councils had failed to audit and submit their financial accounts for 2023, 2024 and 2025, contrary to statutory requirements.

He stressed that public funds must be managed with transparency, accountability and prudence, warning that officials found culpable would be held accountable in accordance with the law.

The Public Accounts Committee derives its constitutional mandate from the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to examine audited accounts of public institutions and investigate financial irregularities identified by the Auditor-General.

The latest summons is aimed at compelling the relevant officials of the six FCT Area Councils to appear before the committee and provide explanations and supporting documents needed to resolve the outstanding audit queries.