Editor
By Fatima Saka
The House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy has announced it will enforce constitutional sanctions on any Ministry, Department, or Agency (MDA) that fails to respond to its summons.
This declaration followed the absence of at least 16 MDAs on the first day of a two-day public hearing held on Monday in Abuja.
Honourable Afam Ogene, chairman of the committee, made the statement during an investigative hearing examining government investments and grants received for renewable energy development since 2015.
Ogene urged the absent MDAs to familiarize themselves with constitutional requirements and to honor future invitations to avoid penalties. He noted that the Minister of Power, who should be the first to support the committee’s efforts, neither presented nor appeared on the first day of the hearing.
“The Minister of Power is not alone,” he stated. “Others, including NASENI, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas), and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, were also absent.”
Additional absentees included the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the Federal Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Technology, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management, the Auditor General of the Federation’s Office, and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Honourable Ogene stressed that the committee would not be deterred in its investigation. “The House of Representatives, as the People’s House, is committed to uncovering the truth,” he declared. “We have a clear mandate, and no one can obstruct us from obtaining the information we need. The constitution is the supreme law, and we will not hesitate to invoke its provisions if necessary.”
The chairman concluded by urging the absent agencies, particularly the chief executives, to attend the committee’s session the following day.
