Reps To Grill FCT Council Chairmen Over Spending
The six Area Council Chairmen of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will be grilled by the House of Representatives on their expenditure from next week Tuesday.
They would face the House Committee on FCT Area Councils and Ancillary Matters after failing to show up on several invitations.
Chairman of the Committee, Frederick Agbedi, during a hearing on Tuesday, which was attended by the Minister of State for FCT, Mariya Mahmud, and the six chairmen expressed displeasure that they had been dodging the invitation to explain how they have been spending money.
He berated them, saying their action held the parliament in contempt.
He said the Committee was not witch-hunting anyone, but that anyone who is in service must be accountable.
Mahmud apologised for not being able to meet up earlier invitations and promised that subsequently, they would work with the Committee.
Also, the Area Council Chairman for Kwali, Danladi Chia, apologised on behalf of his colleagues and promised that they would be cooperative in the probe.
According to a schedule provided by the Clerk of the Committee, Abaji Area Council would appear before the Committee on Tuesday, July 23, 2024; Bwari on Wednesday, July 24, 202 and Gwagwalada on Thursday, July 25, 2024.
Also, Kuje Area Council would face the Committee on Tuesday, July 30, 2024; Kwali on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 and Amac on Thursday, August 1, 2024.
The hearings are expected to be held by 1pm on the allocated days.
Agbedi said the Committee had to adjourn the investigative hearing till next week as a result of the demise of a member of the House from Kaduna State, Ekene Adams.
The Committee had last Tuesday threatened the stoppage of budgetary allocations to the FCT due to the refusal of the Area Council Chairmen as well as agencies in charge of the Councils to honour previous invitations.
