By Oluwakemi Kindness
The House of Representatives has threatened to seek the arrest of chief executives of major telecommunications companies who fail to appear before its ad hoc committee investigating persistent poor network services in Nigeria.
The committee gave the CEOs of MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom (Glo), Mafab Communications Ltd. and other telecommunications service providers seven days to appear before it on October 28, 2026.
The resolution followed the adoption of two motions sponsored by Rep. Sunday Umeha and Rep. Afam Ogene at a public hearing in Abuja on Wednesday.
The committee expressed displeasure over the failure of invited operators, including MTN and Mafab Communications, to honour previous invitations and appear before the lawmakers.
It directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure that all affected operators comply with the next invitation and appear on October 28.
The operators were also directed to submit all relevant documents on or before the scheduled date and explain the persistent decline in service quality affecting subscribers and businesses across the country.
Chairman of the committee, Rep. Olumide Osoba (APC-Ogun), said telecommunications services have become indispensable to Nigeria’s economy, extending beyond voice calls and internet access to commercial activities, including Point of Sale (POS) transactions.
He said businesses, financial transactions and other essential services depended heavily on reliable telecommunications networks, making the persistent decline in service quality a matter of national concern.
Osoba said the House constituted the committee to investigate recurring complaints by subscribers and determine the factors responsible for the poor quality of services provided by telecommunications operators.
He expressed concern that invited chief executives had continued to evade direct engagement with the committee by offering various excuses or sending lower-ranking officials to represent them.
The chairman said the practice undermined the purpose of the parliamentary investigation, stressing that the committee expected the CEOs to appear in person to explain their companies’ operational challenges and commitments.
Also speaking, Rep. Ibe Osonwa expressed displeasure over what he described as the operators’ disregard for the House, despite the substantial revenue they generated from their operations in Nigeria.
Osonwa said it is unacceptable for companies benefiting from the Nigerian market to ignore legislative invitations, particularly when the lawmakers sought explanations on issues affecting their customers and the wider economy.
He said telecommunications operators had a responsibility to account for the quality of services delivered to Nigerians, adding that the House would not overlook attempts to frustrate its investigation.
In his ruling, Osoba urged the NCC to ensure full compliance with the committee’s resolution, reiterating that the affected operators must appear on October 28 and provide the required explanations and documents.
