Reps issue summons as Dangote, BUA, others shun previous invitation

The House of Representatives panel investigating the hike in the prices of cement has once again summoned cement producers after they failed to honour a prior invitation.

The committee, chaired by Jonathan Gbefwi (SDP, Nasarawa), issued the summon on Tuesday after the management of Dangote Cement, BUA Cement and others shunned its earlier summon.

Mr Gbefwi declared that the invited parties must appear before the committee within 14 days.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the House in March resolved to investigate the recent hike in the prices of cement following a motion moved by Mr Gbefwi.

The House mandated the House Joint Committees on Commerce, Industry, Special Duties and Solid Minerals to investigate the factors pushing the prices of cement.

At the resumption of the investigative hearing, the cement producers invited did not appear before the lawmakers.

Mr Gbefwi, who was visibly angered by the action of the producers, said invited persons must appear within 14 days.

He lamented the high costs of building materials in Nigeria. According to him, the high costs of building materials are contributing to homelessness in Nigeria.

“We are trying to see to the development of our country. Just as it was emphasised in the opening remarks, cement is to building what air is to every human being. In the human nature of the House, because we owe them a duty of care because they are equally Nigerians, we are giving them 14 days to make their submissions.

“We have seen in Lagos where you have Nigerians under the bridge and paying rent. Why? If this product was available, I do not believe we would go to that length. Moreover, God has given to this nation, resources in abundance.

“So, this joint committee resolves to give them 14 days from now, and not 14 working days but 14 days to make sure that they make their submissions and appear before this House,” he said.

Bridging16 million housing deficit

While declaring the investigative session open, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Ben Kalu, who represented Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, said the government must work to address the housing deficit.

Quoting research by the African Development Bank, Mr Kalu said “There is a housing deficit of up to 16.9 million units, adding that Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, and Abuja, have a 20 per cent rise in housing needs yearly. The current total output in the formal housing sector is estimated at not more than 100,000 units”.

Mr Kalu stated that bridging this gap requires affordable and accessible cement prices for both the government and the private sector.

“While factors like exchange rates have contributed to the price increases across various commodities, it is encouraging to see the positive results of the “Renewed Hope” administration’s policies under the leadership of Bola Tinubu. Notably, the naira has shown remarkable strength against the dollar in recent weeks, and Fitch Ratings, a global credit rating agency, recently revised Nigeria’s credit outlook to positive from stable”, he added.

He stated “Our goal is to inform Nigerians about the industry’s current state and collaboratively find solutions to navigate the challenges. The persistent rise in cement prices has had a detrimental impact not only on the building environment but also on the entire economy.”

Powers of the National Assembly to summon

Section 89 of the Constitution gives the National Assembly the power to issue a warrant of arrest to compel appearance for investigation.

“For the purposes of any investigation under section 88 of this Constitution and subject to the provisions thereof, the Senate or the House of Representatives or a committee appointed in accordance with section 62 of this Constitution shall have power to –

“Issue a warrant to compel the attendance of any person who, after having been summoned to attend, fails, refuses, or neglects to do so and does not excuse such failure, refusal, or neglect to the satisfaction of the House or the committee in question and order him to pay all costs which may have been occasioned in compelling his attendance or by reason of his failure, refusal, or neglect to obey the summons.”