ABUJA, Nigeria – The House of Representatives ad hoc committee, tasked with investigating the repeated failure of mass transit schemes in Nigeria, has summoned several top officials to shed light on the situation.
Among those summoned are the Minister of Finance, Mr. Dele Alake, the Minister of Trade and Investment, the Accountant General for the Federation, and the Head of Service of the Federation.
The summons were issued by Rep. Victor Ogene, Chairman of the committee, in Abuja on Wednesday, September 6, 2023.
Ogene explained that the committee is particularly interested in understanding the disbursement patterns of previous mass transit schemes, for which it has yet to receive adequate documentation.
The committee has invited the concerned agencies to appear before it on September 11 and 12 at 11 a.m.
Furthermore, the Managing Director of the Infrastructure Bank has also been asked to appear at the same time.
National organizations representing road transport owners and employees have also been summoned to the hearing. Ogene issued a stern warning against ignoring the summons.
“Let me warn that this invitation is not frivolous. This is an invitation the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria extended to them,” Ogene stressed.
He warned that failure to honor the invitation would provoke the full legislative power of the committee as permitted by the Nigerian constitution.
Previously, the Abuja Investment Company Limited and the National Union of Road Transport Workers had appeared before the committee.
Both entities offered suggestions to prevent the recurring failure of the scheme.
The ad hoc committee was established in response to public concerns over the ineffectiveness and inefficiency of mass transit systems in the country, an issue that affects millions of Nigerians daily.
The probe aims to hold relevant stakeholders accountable and offer actionable solutions to improve public transportation in Nigeria.
