House of Reps Reaffirms Authority Over Telecom CEOs

The House of Representatives in Nigeria has asserted its constitutional authority to summon telecommunications operators over ongoing issues related to poor service delivery. On Wednesday, the ad hoc committee investigating these issues walked out representatives from the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) during a resumed meeting.

This action followed the failure of chief executives from major telecommunications companies to respond to a summons to appear before the committee. Although representatives from ALTON, including officials from MTN, Globacom, Airtel, and T2 Mobile, attended the meeting, they claimed to be there in respect of the National Assembly while also indicating that legal proceedings were underway challenging the summons.

However, the committee, led by Chairman Olumide Osoba (Rep, Abeokuta North/Obafemi Owode/Odeda) and represented by Sunday Umeha (Rep, Ezeagu/Udi), rejected their presence, stating, “You are not invited. You are an intruder.

This will be the last warning.” The committee emphasized that ALTON should not appear again unless specifically invited.