The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Capital Territory Area Councils and Ancillary Matters has resolved to probe the alleged failure of the six area councils to remit pension contribution to the Area Council Staff Pension Board.

The resolution was taken at the 2024 budget performance review/defence of 2025 estimates of all agencies in the councils.

The committee chairman, Fred Agbedi (PDP-Delta), demanded that the committee be furnished with all relevant records on pension contribution remittances. 

“Furnish us with the details so we can know why the area councils are defaulting in their remittance. 

“The committee should investigate the failure of the remittance from the area councils to the pension account,” Mr Agbedi said. 

He said the committee would embark on budget oversight of all the agencies to ensure judicious use of taxpayers’ money. 

Suleman Abdulrahman, the FCT Area Councils Staff Pensions Board director, told the committee that the remittances were not frequent. 

Mr Abdulrahman said that, by law, each deduction from salaries was supposed to be remitted seven days after payment of salary. 

He said that, unfortunately, at the area councils, that was not what was happening, as sometimes they owe two to three months before remittance. 

“The staff pay their employee contribution, which is the eight per cent and 10 per cent is to be paid by the employer and should be remitted to their PFA accordingly from the area councils,” he said.

(NAN)