The Nigeria House of Representatives has summoned the Director General of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company, NBET, Dr. Nnaemeka Eweluka, for refusal to appear for the 2022 budget performance review and 2023 budget defence.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Hon James Faleke, gave the ruling at the beginning of the budget defence.

NBET’s Managing Director of Corporate Services, Abba Aliyu, who appeared before the Committee on Finance, for the budget defence to represent the DG, said that the DG was on annual leave.

Chairman of the committee, James Faleke issued the summon to see the MD “Personally and unfailingly appear on Thursday, October 27,” when the representative said he cannot provide answers to questions on the controversial power purchase agreement entered into by the company, with a firm named Azura under a “Take or Pay” arrangement that commits Nigeria into a monthly payment of $33 million.

Eweluka had during an investigative hearing with the committee previously told members that the agreements were entered into without recourse to the Federal Executive Council, FEC, insisting that they were not like normal procurement processes that require such based on the recommendation of the Bureau for Public Procurement, BPP, stressing he only relied on the advice of the Attorney General of the Federation, while the Minister of Finance signed on behalf of the government.

In his ruling, Faleke stated that the National Assembly does not have issues with NBET but with the commission’s activities.