The House of Representatives has summoned the Managing Directors of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, and the Jos Electricity Distribution Company, JEDC, for failing to appear at the ongoing investigative hearing into Nigeria’s power sector reforms and expenditure from 2007 to 2024.
Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee, Al-Mustapha Ibrahim, issued the notice in Abuja, saying that the failure of the chief executives to appear undermined the investigation into persistent electricity challenges despite over a decade of privatization.
He noted that while generation and transmission had been examined in earlier sessions, distribution companies remained central to electricity delivery.
Ibrahim referenced submissions by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, indicating that the country has never generated up to 13,300 megawatts, with peak generation around 10,000 megawatts, despite transmission capacity of about 7,000 megawatts, raising questions over continued power shortages.
The committee rejected the appearance of officials representing IBEDC and JEDC, citing the absence of formal authorization, and insisting that only the Managing Directors could adequately respond to the issues.
A motion by Mohammed Lateef to adjourn the hearing to February 5 and compel the Managing Directors to appear before the Committee, was amended by Abubakar Jajere, who also called for the invitation of the Discos’ core investors.
Upholding the amended motion, Ibrahim warned that continued non-compliance would attract the full powers of the House, while the committee adjourned proceedings to 5 February.
