By ERICJAMES OCHIGBO

The House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy has warned chief executive officers in the country against taking the National Assembly for granted.

Chairman of the committee, Rep. Victor Afam (LP-Anambra), gave the warning at a public hearing on the usage of $2 billion renewable energy grants, in Abuja on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the followed the non-appearance of most of the CEOs of government agencies and private sector organisations invited for the hearing by the House.

NAN also reports that only two of the 25 CEOs invited for the hearing appeared.

The two CEOs who appeared were the Director-General of Nigerian Energy Commission and the Managing Director of Union Bank, while the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas) wrote the committee on his absence.

The agencies whose CEO failed to appear included: Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited Renewable Energy Projects, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board and Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).

Others were: National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), NASENI Solar Energy Ltd., Ministry of Petroleum Resources and Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Also included were the Federal Ministry of Power, Energy Commission of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Finance, Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, Niger Delta Power Holding Company and Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management, Niger Delta Development Commission, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation were also absent.

Afam said that the parliament was empowered by the constitution to conduct hearing, obtain information for the purpose of good governance and effective use of resources.

He said that the committee had written to all the CEOs, inviting them to the hearing while it also wrote follow-up letters to them.

The lawmaker said that the hearing was not a witch-hunt and neither was it to indict any organisation, saying that there was no need for anybody to run away.

Afam said that it would not be business as usual, warning that the committee would not take it easy with any agency?s CEO who refused to honour invitation to answer questions, in line with constitutional provisions.

NAN reports that the committee unanimously resolved that all the CEOs should appear on Nov. 6 to answer questions on the said $2 billion renewable energy grants.

Earlier, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas had said that the hearing re-enforced the parliament?s dedication to accountability, transparency, and progress in the country?s renewable energy sector.

Abbas said that the mandate of the committee was both crucial and timely, as it sought to investigate grants and investments in Nigeria?s renewable energy landscape from 2015 till date.

He said that the mandate of the hearing also included examining the impacts of the grants, outcomes, and alignment with the national goals.

?Since 2015, Nigeria has attracted billions of dollars in grants and investments into renewable energy from both domestic and international sources.

?These funds were intended to revolutionise our energy infrastructure, reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, and ultimately address our pressing electricity challenges.

?However, despite these considerable investments, access to stable and reliable electricity remains a struggle for many Nigerians.

?Energy drives our industries, powers our communities, and propels innovation.

?Yet, the anticipated outcomes from the renewable energy investments remain elusive, leaving many to wonder about the actual impacts of these funds and the feasibility of our energy diversification goals.

?Today?s public hearing is not a witch-hunt nor is it intended to indict.

?Rather, it is an opportunity for open dialogue, a means to identify the challenges that hinder our progress and find solutions that can empower us to serve Nigerians more effectively.

?Our goal is to better understand how the parliament can support the renewable energy sector in a way that drives real, measurable change,? he said.

Abbas urged all stakeholders to approach the hearing with utmost honesty and transparency, saying that Nigerians deserved clear answers, and see tangible benefits from the resources that had been allocated in their name.

Prof. Magnus Onuoha, of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Association (Alliance-REEEA-A), pledged the support of the association to the hearing.

He said that the association was willing to partner with the parliament to make renewable energy more available to Nigerians. (NAN)

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