The House of Representatives committee investigating the non-implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) by multinational oil companies and other corporate bodies in the Niger Delta region has threatened to invoke the constitutional powers of the parliament to order the arrest of the chief executive officers of the companies for undermining the House.

The committee was angry that the oil companies refused to honour its investigation, following series of petitions that accused the companies of neglect and non-implementation of their CSR.

Chairman of the committee, Prof. Obiageli Lilian Orogbu, frowned at the failure of some major oil companies to attend the investigative hearing.

The chairman warned that the committee would deal decisively with any organisation that failed to respect the House investigative panel.

She said: “The House has asked us to carry out this exercise based on quantum of petitions from host communities against most of you. We will not take kindly with any organisations that decide to undermine this assignment.”

Orogbu said the investigative hearing was borne out of genuine intention of the parliament to see that corporate bodies operating in Nigeria keep to the best practices of their operations and environmental behaviours within their host communities.

She said: “Reports at the disposal of the parliament show that a lot of you are lagging behind in this regard. (The Nation)