FCT Councils Face Fresh Pressure Over N100bn Audit Queries as Reps Issue Final Summons
FCT Councils Face Fresh Pressure Over N100bn Audit Queries as Reps Issue Final Summons
The House of Representatives has stepped up pressure on the six Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over unresolved financial queries estimated at about N100 billion, after council chairmen again failed to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
The latest development has shifted the focus from the absence of the chairmen to the responsibility of senior financial and administrative officials to provide answers and supporting documents on the issues raised by auditors.
The six affected councils are Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali. The council chairmen had requested September 22, 2026, for their appearance but failed to attend or send representatives, according to the committee.
Consequently, the PAC 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. They are expected to appear before the committee on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, with possible sanctions threatened for non-compliance.
The audit concerns 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 outstanding liabilities of about N7.65 billion involving pension deductions, PAYE, VAT, withholding tax and obligations to contractors.
AMAC was reported to have the highest outstanding liability at N2.19 billion, followed by Bwari with N1.49 billion and Kwali with N1.46 billion. Gwagwalada accounted for N1.01 billion, while Kuje and Abaji were listed at N892.2 million and N593.8 million respectively.
The lawmakers are also seeking explanations and documentary evidence concerning N24.87 billion reportedly spent by the six councils on personnel, overheads and capital expenditure in 2021. The audit findings also raised questions about the maintenance of fixed-asset records, including N336 million in non-current assets cited in Gwagwalada.
PAC Chairman, Bamidele Salam, said the committee had made repeated efforts to obtain explanations and relevant documents from the councils. He also disclosed that subsequent audit reports covering 2022 and part of 2023 raised additional concerns, including alleged understatement of internally generated revenue, unauthorised disposal of assets and non-remittance of withholding tax.
Another issue highlighted by the committee is the reported failure of the councils to audit and submit their financial accounts for 2023, 2024 and 2025. The lawmakers said the latest summons is intended to compel the responsible officials to provide answers and documents needed to resolve the outstanding audit queries.
The allegations contained in the audit reports have not, by themselves, established wrongdoing by any individual or council. The affected officials are expected to respond to the queries and provide the relevant records before the committee determines the next steps.
The development has renewed calls for stronger transparency and accountability in the management of public funds at the grassroots level, particularly as the six FCT Area Councils face mounting questions over their financial records and compliance with statutory auditing requirements.
