The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the management of Ibadan, Benin, and Port Harcourt electricity distribution companies to appear before it over unpaid remittances estimated at over ₦100 billion to the Federation Account.
The directive was issued on Monday during a public hearing, where the committee gave the affected DisCos a 72-hour deadline to honour its invitation or face sanctions for contempt of the legislature.
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Chairman of the committee, Bamidele Salam, said the order became necessary following the repeated failure of the companies: Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) and Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) to respond to earlier summons.
The decision followed the consideration of an interim report submitted by a subcommittee chaired by Mark Obetta (PDP, Enugu).
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The PAC recalled that it had, on 20 August, summoned 11 electricity distribution companies over a combined debt of about ₦ 2.6 trillion owed to the Federation Account. While some firms have since engaged with the committee, IBEDC, BEDC and PHEDC were singled out for what lawmakers described as persistent non-compliance.
According to the committee, the three DisCos have ignored invitations to explain liabilities highlighted in the Auditor-General’s reports for the 2021 and 2022 financial years.
Lawmakers described the companies’ conduct as a deliberate disregard for parliamentary authority and warned that failure to appear on Thursday, 18 December, would result in stiff legislative sanctions.
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Speaking at the hearing, Mr Salam expressed concern that portions of the debts had remained unpaid for more than 10 years, stressing that the situation was unacceptable.
READ ALSO: Reps panel summons 11 Discos over ₦2.6trn debt
He said the committee was determined to recover the outstanding funds and ensure proper accountability, noting that the monies involved belong to the Nigerian government and, ultimately, the public.
The PAC thereafter reaffirmed its ultimatum, insisting that the management of the three Discos must appear before the committee on Thursday to account for the unpaid remittances.
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