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By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has issued a firm ultimatum to several top government institutions after they repeatedly failed to honour requests tied to the ongoing investigation into Nigeria’s power sector spending from 2007 to 2024.

At a resumed hearing in Abuja, the chairman of the Adhoc Committee on Power Sector Reforms, Rep. Ibrahim Aliyu, summoned the Bureau of Public Procurement, the Budget Office, the Office of the Accountant-General, the Ministries of Finance and Power, and the Office of the Auditor-General over what he described as a growing disregard for parliamentary oversight.

He expressed frustration at the continued refusal of these agencies to submit vital documents or respond to official communications, accusing them of forming a worrisome pattern of avoidance at a time when the country is demanding accountability in the electricity sector.

The committee directed all summoned institutions to appear by 8 December 2025, warning that any further defiance would leave the House with no option but to invoke its constitutional enforcement powers.

Rep. Aliyu said the agencies had been contacted repeatedly since early November, with several reminders issued, yet none had acknowledged or complied with the requests.

“We are getting increasingly frustrated. We cannot pre-empt their reasons for refusing to appear, but these ministries and agencies are critical to the success of this investigation”, he said.

Earlier, committee members had moved a motion to grant a short extension for the agencies to appear while also expanding the mode of communication.

The lawmakers suggested that invitations be published in the media to ensure no MDA claims ignorance of the summons.

The committee, resolved to publish its invitations and also issue fresh letters as a final goodwill gesture before deploying legal instruments under Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution, which empower the National Assembly to compel attendance and demand documents from any person or authority.

The Chairman said the avoidance recorded so far risk undermining the probe, which aims to establish how trillions of naira invested in the power sector over 17 years have failed to translate into stable electricity for Nigerians.

“We cannot continue this way. These agencies must come forward with their records. The Nigerian people deserve answers,” Aliyu said.