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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils and Ancillary Matters has expressed dismay over the failure of agencies under the Federal Capital Territory Administration ( FCTA) to honour its summons.
The chairman of the Committee, Fredrick Agbedi, while speaking at an investigative hearing organised by the panel said the parliament will sanction the Social Development Secretariat, which is in charge of the Area councils, for repeatedly failing to honour its invitations.
Agbedi noted that the committee will invoke its powers to compel the agencies to render account of their stewardship. He stated this is in addition to reporting them to President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, “After a budget cycle, you spent money, you need to account for it before you get other monies. But when you are not responding to such, it means you’re running away from accountability. It means you have something to hide, and for us as a Committee, we are prepared to work and ensure a better service is rendered to the people.
“As a Committee, the constitution provides that every public office holder must give account of stewardship. Some of the agencies submitted their reports, many others did not do anything for about a year, we have been waiting.
“Henceforth, we will invoke our powers because once you hold an office, you are supposed to render account. Any agency which failed to do so is evading accountability, which the law provides for actions to be taken, including to cause an investigation of the agency concerned. “
