The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee, investigating power sector reforms and expenditures from 2007 to 2024, has expressed dissatisfaction over the persistent refusal of key government agencies and private operators to honour its invitations or submit requested documents.
This frustration was expressed by the committee’s chairman, Hon. Ibrahim Almustapha Aliyu, while members were kept waiting for over two hours without a single stakeholder present at the resumed investigative hearing of the committee on Friday, despite being scheduled to interface with at least seven ministries, departments, agencies, and power companies.
Aliyu described the conduct of the invited organisations as a clear show of disrespect to the National Assembly and a deliberate attempt to obstruct a constitutionally mandated probe into nearly two decades of reforms and trillions of naira invested in the power sector.
“We adjourned to reconvene today by 11 a.m., but as of 12:30 p.m., not one stakeholder has shown up,” he said. “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.”
The chairman noted that although some institutions requested an extension, many others did not acknowledge letters from the committee, let alone provide an explanation for their absence. He added that poor compliance had slowed down the speed of the investigation and raised concerns on transparency in the sector.
Aliyu explained that while the committee was making serious efforts towards ensuring invitation letters were delivered, including resolving logistics problems on contact addresses, a number of organisations still did not respond, appear, or make submissions.
“Let it be clear: the National Assembly cannot be ignored,” he warned. “This committee will not allow any institution public or private to decide on its own which invitation to honour. We will not be undermined.”
He then directed the committee secretariat to collate a comprehensive compliance chart documenting acknowledgements, submissions and appearances to guide the panel’s next actions and give Nigerians a transparent record of cooperation so far.
Aliyu warned that failure of stakeholders to appear after several invitations; the committee would use its constitutional powers to make summons and other follow-up actions. “Accountability is not optional. This investigation is in the national interest,” he said. “This exercise is too important to be trivialised. We must trace every naira released, every project approved, every contract executed, and every promise made to Nigerians.”
