The House of Representatives, on Friday, threatened to invoke its constitutional powers to compel Chief Executive Officers of all Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) and other government functionaries to appear during the ongoing power probe.
At the resumed investigative hearing, Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee investigating Nigeria’s power sector reforms and expenditure from 2007 to 2024, Hon. Ibrahim Al-Mustapha Aliyu, expressed displeasure over the continued refusal of key government agencies and private sector operators to appear before it or submit requested documents.
He explained that members had waited for more than two hours without a single stakeholder present, despite being scheduled to interface with at least seven ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs) and power companies.
Hon. Aliyu said the behaviour of the invited stakeholders amounted to outright disrespect for the National Assembly and a deliberate attempt to frustrate a constitutionally mandated probe into nearly two decades of reforms and trillions of naira spent in the electricity sector.
“We adjourned to reconvene today by 11 am, but as of 12:30 pm, not one stakeholder has shown up. Members have been here waiting for over two hours, yet those invited to clarify critical issues in this investigation are nowhere to be found. This is unacceptable.”
He lamented that while a few organisations had written to request extensions, many others had neither acknowledged the committee’s letters nor provided any reason for their absence, arguing that the poor compliance was slowing down the investigation and raising serious concerns about transparency within the sector.
Hon. Aliyu noted that the committee had taken pains to ensure letters were delivered, even addressing logistics challenges relating to contact addresses, yet several institutions had still not acknowledged receipt or made submissions.
Speaking further, the Chairman said the repeated failure of stakeholders to honour invitations suggested a coordinated attempt to evade scrutiny.
“Let it be clear: the National Assembly cannot be ignored. This committee will not allow any institution—public or private—to decide on its own which invitation to honour and which to discard. We will not be undermined.”
He, therefore, directed the Committee secretariat to compile a detailed compliance chart tracking acknowledgements, document submissions and appearances at the hearings. The chart, he said, would guide the committee’s next line of action and give Nigerians a transparent view of the level of cooperation received so far.
Hon. Aliyu also cautioned that the committee is prepared to invoke its constitutional powers if the trend continued.
“If after all these opportunities they continue to avoid this probe, we will not hesitate to issue summons and take further steps within the powers granted to us,” he warned. “Accountability is not optional. This investigation is in the national interest.”
He stressed that the committee was determined to uncover how huge federal investments meant to revamp the power sector were utilized, and why Nigerians still endure epileptic electricity after so many years of reforms.
“This exercise is too important to be trivialized. We must trace every naira released, every project approved, every contract executed, and every promise made to Nigerians.”
Several Committee members also voiced frustration, describing the continuous snubbing of the hearings as part of a growing pattern of disregard for parliamentary oversight. They urged the Chairman to take stronger actions to ensure compliance, including issuing a summons or invoking other constitutional provisions if necessary.
To this end, the Committee resolved to adjourn sitting to Monday, 1 December 2025.