FCT Minister of State, Mariya Bunkure, has been summoned by the House of Representatives over failure to honour invitation for budget defence
The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils and Ancillary Matters has summoned the minister of state for FCT, Dr. Mariya Bunkure, to appear before it on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
The summon was issued after the minister failed to honour an invitation to a budget session convened by the committee to review the FCT budget.
Chairman of the committee, Rep. Fredrick Agbedi (PDP Bayelsa), issued the directive on Monday in Abuja, expressing displeasure that only three out of 14 agencies under the minister’s supervision attended the session.
Agbedi criticized the minister’s absence and warned that the House would invoke its legislative powers if she fails to appear as summoned.
He reminded the minister of President Bola Tinubu’s directive to lawmakers to expedite action on the budget, describing her absence as a setback to that mandate.
“The Minister was duly invited and informed of this meeting along with all the agencies under her jurisdiction,” Agbedi said. “This committee is very, very important to the people of FCT. As a committee, we touch on the fabric of the people of FCT because we deal directly with the people.”
He stressed that the National Assembly, and by extension the committee, represents the interests of FCT residents and indigenes and called on President Tinubu to intervene.
In his remarks, Rep. Paul Kalejaye (APC Lagos) described the minister’s absence as an affront to the National Assembly.
“We have constitutional powers to ensure compliance with provisions of the law,” Kalejaye stated.
