Isaac Samuel
The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee investigating Nigeria’s power sector reforms and expenditure from 2007 to 2024 has summoned the Managing Directors of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company and Jos Electricity Distribution Company (Discos) over their absence at a public hearing held on Thursday.
Chairman of the committee, Hon. Al-Mustapha Ibrahim, expressed dissatisfaction with the failure of the chief executives to honour the invitation.
He described the attitude of the managing directors as an act that undermined the essence of the investigation.
Ibrahim said the committee was constituted to interrogate Nigeria’s persistent electricity challenges, which have continued to impede national development despite more than a decade of power sector privatisation.
According to him, “there is no way we can move forward without hearing directly from the Managing Directors. We want them to tell Nigerians who they are, what they do, the investments they have made, and how they have utilised the various government interventions in the power sector.”
The chairman noted that while issues around power generation and transmission had been examined in previous engagements, distribution companies remain critical stakeholders whose operations directly affect electricity supply to end users.
He recalled submissions by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), which revealed that Nigeria has never generated up to 13,300 megawatts of electricity at any point, with peak generation hovering around 10,000 megawatts, despite a transmission capacity of about 7,000 megawatts.
“The big question is why Nigerians are still in darkness. Discos must explain why communities and individuals are still forced to procure transformers and other infrastructure that should ordinarily be provided by them”, he added.
Officials who appeared on behalf of the two Discos were unable to provide satisfactory explanations for the absence of their Managing Directors, nor did they present formal letters notifying the committee of any delegation.
Members of the committee unanimously rejected the representation, insisting that only the Managing Directors could adequately respond to the issues raised.
A lawmaker, Olajide Mohammed (Oyo State) moved a motion to adjourn the hearing to February 5, directing the Discos to reappear with their Managing Directors to defend their submissions, investment records, infrastructure development, and utilisation of intervention funds.
“We want to hear from the horse’s mouth. Nigerians are suffering across the country, and this is not an issue we can continue to treat lightly,” Mohammed said.
The motion was amended by Abubakar Jajere (Yobe State), who called for the invitation of core investors in the Discos, citing what he described as a recurring disregard for the committee’s summons.
“We have already established that agencies invited must be represented by their chief executives. If the Discos continue to respond negatively, then their core investors should be invited to ensure accountability.”
Upholding the amended motion, Ibrahim warned that failure to comply with the committee’s directive would attract the full instrumentality of the House.
“If they continue to evade this investigation, it raises serious questions about their capacity, commitment and ability to deliver effective power supply after 13 years of privatisation,” he said.
The committee adjourned proceedings to February 5, reiterating its determination to uncover the root causes of Nigeria’s electricity crisis and enforce accountability in the power sector.
