In governance, as in private business, the importance of prudence and accountability cannot be overlooked especially in a democratic dispensation when incumbent administrations are expected to be transparent and result oriented to effectively provide democracy dividends for the people.
One of the foremost contenders in the February 16, 2026 Federal Capital Territory Chairmanship elections on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dr. Stephen Knabayi has claimed that the six area council chairmen have not been transparent or accountable to their people or the legislators and are not prudent in spending but engage in financial recklessness and are allegedly using monthly financial allocations meant for the development of area councils like personal funds.
In this interview with Cyril Mbah in Abuja, Dr. Knabayi, who served two-terms as chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) before joining politics, also alleged that the area council chairmen are busy building personal mansions and estates with public funds rather than develop their councils and he reminded relevant anti-graft agencies that it is part of their mandate to hold public officials accountable at all times. Excerpts.
Sir, you have been claiming that the area council chairmen, including that of Kuje, are not prudent in thèir spending and are not accountable to the people. Can you expatiate on these allegations? Can you explain what you really mean?
The lack of accountability in area council governance has been highlighted in all my campaigns and it is not only in Kuje. I have been a member of the Joint Accounts Committee (JAC) for many years and I know that one of the things we do at JAC meetings is the sharing of allocations, mainly for the six area councils.
I know that what we do at JAC meetings is that at the end of the day, we usually tell the chairmen to go and be accountable to the people by telling the people what has been allocated to their council and what they have used the money to achieve. The monthly allocations which runs into millions of Naira do not belong to the chairmen. It is not the chairmen’s money. It is for the council and so it is expected that they report to the people what they do with the money, because they are representing the entire people of the council.
Today, accountability has become the missing thing in governance in the six area councils, particularly in Kuje Area Council and we, who know what it is, we will do something differently by being accountable to the people and to the government by the Grace of God.
So, what we will do every month is to be replicated at the council through statutory meetings and then at other meetings that has to do with the people. We have the traditional institutions but they are in the dark. We have the people, the residents of each area council. The money received every month is supposed to be used to complete projects that benefit the people of the area councils but what we have today is that the chairmen are building personal mansions and estates all over the place. This entrenched culture of insensitivity, lack of empathy, impunity of actions and blatant disregard for the rights of the people, which characterised the activities of council chairmen must stop. We need accountability and prudence in spending. The people must be told how much gets to every council and what they use the money to do. As anyone can see, there are no basic amenities and infrastructures in the councils especially at the Interior areas.
We have seen some projects like roads initiated by Kuje Area Council Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Suleiman Sabo, for example. Are you saying that all the roads that he is constructing in the council that he has not used the money he is collecting to cover the roads constructed or what?
I will ask you journalists to show me the financial report on the expenditure for those roads. Where is the report or the documents showing what has been given and what has been expended? It is our right and the right of the citizens of Kuje Area Council to know what comes into the treasury and what it was used to achieve. That is what I am saying. You can be doing whatever you are doing as a chairman and call them projects, but as long as accountability is missing, you are on your own and you have failed.
So, when we are voted into office, the ADC, under our leadership, and under the close watch of the national leadership of ADC, the Federal Government and security agencies, we shall do something different by being accountable to the people.
Now you are the candidate of the ADC for Kuje Area Council, when you are elected, what will be your programme of action?
Well, I have said it again and again. Our mission and vision remains that we are going to serve the people by bringing back good governance for the people of Kuje Area Council. In this area, the economy is important, security is important, health and medical facilities that are bad and none existent today, we will revive the sector.
We will bring back health facilities and make them work the way it should be. Then, about the poor state of education in Kuje Area Council, we will improve on that also. Now, look at the condition of the youth in the council. There are no serious empowerment, no recruitment, no employment for the youth.
I recall that many years ago that this thing has been preached against because idleness leads to crimes. It is not supposed to be so. The current government of Kuje Area Council should include training and bringing up people in the local communities. The grassroot population is also entitled to enjoy good governance so that the people at the grassroots will have a sense of belonging but they are excluded today. Do you see that, don’t be deceived by what we see inside Kuje town. If you want to know whether some development is going on or not, go to the rural communities and that is the passion we have.
The ADC wants to correct the wrongs done to the people so that the people can have the taste and feeling of governance and by the grace of God, it will come to pass.
Many politicians engage in open criticism and backbiting each other’s especially during campaigns. What do you think about this attitude?
It is human nature but generally, people cannot give what they do not have. The moral of this thing that you see is happening now is a copy and paste leadership. Once you don’t have what it takes to be a leader, you better not go there because you are going to get it wrong. Politicians should be able to know that they are elected by the people and they should serve the people without bias. They should also be accountable to the people and they should be available. We totally condemn leadership by absenteeism or by proxy like what is happening in aome places such as Kuje Area Council.
You talked only about the youth; do you have programmes for women?
Women, yes. The case of women will be looked into. It will be considered specially in our administration by the grace of God. Remember, in Kuje Area Council, women are more in number and when it comes to politics, as it was surveyed by the ADC, women perform more than the men. So, there is no how we would abandon or neglect them. We are not going to have the big place of leadership in the council without the women. So, they are going to have more than 35%. I assure you, God helping us, we’ll do more than 35% of women representation in Kuje Area Council, just like we would do for the youths because that is one thing you must bear in mind.
So, about the youths, like what I’ve just said. There is no leadership without the youths. You will be shocked to see the combination of the people who bring them forth. I assure you that the youths will be at the forefront. Because we believe that we have tried to settle people and they have failed. This time around, the administration is going to be formed and Kuje will be governed by the youths and you trust that when you give that task to the youths, we are going to make Kuje a better place. Actually, our desire, our pursuit, our vision is to make Kuje shine and who will do the work better, if not the youth.
What is the final message?
My final message to you and to the people of Kuje Area Council, is that this time around, if we have made mistakes before in bringing wrong people into positions of leadership in Kuje, that should be in the past. Now, let people come and choose a person like me who is ready to use the 4, 5, 6, 7 pillars of development of Kuje Area Council for the people, by the people. I assure you, that the ADC, when we get there, Kuje will be a better place.
Therefore, let people come out en-masse and vote for the ADC candidates in Kuje Area Council.
Finally sir, some leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
have threatened to snatch the victory from any opposition member who wins the next election in the FCT. How do you react to the threat as a candidate and a stakeholder?
Well, for us, it’s an empty threat. Let us win the election first and see who will come and seize our votes. It will not happen. If it has happened in the past, I assure you, the ADC have equal eyes and people who are watching, who will watch and make sure that our votes count and our victory is delivered and we are declared victorious for the post.
Like I said earlier, we have the commitment to address education challenges and empower the youth and we believe the youth will do the needful when the time comes.
