Reps Committee Summons Benin, Ibadan, Port Harcourt DisCos Over N100bn Debt to FG
- The House of Representatives has summoned IBEDC, BEDC and PHEDC over more than N100 billion allegedly owed to the federal government
- The companies were given a 72-hour ultimatum to appear before the Public Accounts Committee to answer questions or face sanctions
- The probe is part of a wider investigation into N2.6 trillion in unremitted revenues by eleven electricity distribution companies
Oluwatobi Odeyinka is a business editor at Legit.ng, covering energy, the money market, technology and macroeconomic trends in Nigeria.
The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has summoned the management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) and Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) over their alleged failure to remit more than N100 billion owed to the federal government.
The summons was issued on Monday during a public hearing in Abuja, where the committee gave the three electricity distribution companies a 72-hour ultimatum to appear before it or face sanctions.
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Lawmakers described the companies’ repeated absence as a disregard for legislative authority. The decision followed the consideration of an interim report presented by the chairman of the PAC sub-committee, Mr Mark Obetta.
The main committee is chaired by Hon. Bamidele Salam, who represents Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore federal constituency of Osun State.
The summons forms part of a wider investigation launched by the committee on August 20, 2025, when 11 electricity distribution companies were invited to explain a total debt of N2.6 trillion allegedly owed to the Federation Account.
The liabilities, according to the Auditor-General of the Federation’s reports for the 2021 and 2022 financial years, relate to unremitted revenues and statutory obligations.
While some of the electricity companies have appeared before the committee or engaged with the review process, IBEDC, BEDC and PHEDC were accused of consistently ignoring invitations.
Committee members described their actions as deliberate legislative contempt. They warned that stiff sanctions would be imposed if the companies fail to appear before the committee on Thursday, December 18, 2025.
Salam expressed concern that some of the debts have remained unpaid for more than a decade, stressing the need for urgent recovery of the funds.
The PAC said its investigation aligns with its constitutional responsibility to scrutinise the accounts of government agencies and private entities that manage public funds.
The committee added that its recent efforts have already led to improved remittances and renewed attention to fiscal discipline.
According to the lawmakers, ensuring compliance by electricity distribution companies is critical due to the strategic role of the power sector and the scale of public funds involved.
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The committee stressed that its actions are aimed at enforcing accountability and transparency, not disrupting legitimate business activities.
Recall that the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) disclosed that about 20 of 36 states owe electricity bills, either from government houses or state MDAs.
DisCos collect increased bills
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) performed better in bill collection in the second quarter of 2025.
In a report by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), revealed that DisCos received a total of N564.71bn out of N742.34bn billed in the quarter reviewed.
The report showed that Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company posted the highest quarter-on-quarter improvement, raising its collection efficiency to 70%, an increase of 9.77% from the previous quarter.
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Source: Legit.ng
