The House of Representatives has issued a 14-day ultimatum to Dangote Cement, BUA, Lafarge Ashaka and other cement manufacturing companies in Nigeria to appear before it to make their submissions over the arbitrary increases in the price of the commodity nationwide.

The Chairman, House Committee on Solid Minerals, Mr Gaza Gbefwi, gave the directive at a public hearing to investigate the arbitrary increase in the price of cement in Nigeria by cement manufacturers, organised by House Joint Committees on Commerce, Industry, Special Duties and Solid Minerals on Tuesday in Abuja.

The PUNCH reported on March 13, 2024, that the House adopted a motion on the “Arbitrary increase in the price of cement by the cement manufacturers in Nigeria”, and constituted a joint committee to investigate and report back to it for further legislative action.

At the public hearing on Tuesday, none of the cement companies appeared or sent representatives to make submissions on their behalf.

Angered by the development, Gbefwi who represents Karu/Keffi/Kokona Federal Constituency, Nasarawa State, said the parliament was not in receipt of a court order restraining it from inviting anybody or companies for investigative purposes.

He said: “We are trying to see to the development of our country. Just as it was emphasized 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.

If not, as we have sworn to uphold the constitution, we will use everything within our powers to make sure that Nigerians are not taken for granted and are not exploited. We will not sit back while some companies declare billions in naira and dollars every day while our people can barely afford to get a decent roof over their heads.”

“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.

Earlier in his remarks, the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, represented by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, pledged the readiness of the House to come up with appropriate legislation to encourage the industrialisation of the country.

He also assured the companies invited for deliberations not to see their invitation as a witch-hunting mission, adding that the parliament was only interested in assisting in resolving the challenges in the building sector occasioned by frequent hikes in the price of cement.

He said: “We are committed to collaborating with both cement manufacturers and end-users, believing this is the most effective way to improve the quality of life and standard of living for our citizens. We are also dedicated to enacting laws that prevent a recurrence of the factors that led to the current situation.

“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. Cement is a fundamental component used in construction projects like bridges, dams, houses, waterworks, and road infrastructure. This makes addressing this issue paramount.”

Quoting research by the African Development Bank, 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”.

The Deputy Speaker asserted 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.

Earlier in his welcome address, Gbefwi said that Nigeria has a high housing deficit of about 3 million units and a huge infrastructural deficit.

He stated: “Indeed the recent events that led to the skyrocketing of the price of cement in Nigeria has been worrisome and of great concern as it is inflicting untold hardship on Nigerians.

“To close this gap, both government and the private sector must be articulate and deliberate in putting the right policies and parameters in place that can promote, induce and or encourage development.

He added that the cost of cement is higher in Nigeria compared to other countries in Africa using the current exchange rate of the dollar to local currencies.

“Our review of cement prices in other countries like Kenya, India and Zambia for 2021 alone shows that Nigeria has the highest price of cement using the official exchange rates for each country. Nigeria’s price of cement doubles that of India at a difference of 69 per cent. Similarly, the price is 29 per cent higher than that in Kenya and 39 per cent higher in Zambia; hence the need for us to come together and find out why,” he added.

The House of Representatives has called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Department of State Services and heads of other security agencies to probe the recent killings of innocent Nigerians in Ambe in the Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Six persons were reportedly killed in Ambe, a settlement in the Arak chiefdom, on Sunday when gunmen invaded the community, shooting sporadically at innocent citizens.

At the resumption of plenary on Tuesday, the member representing Jemaa/Sanga Federal Constituency, Kaduna State, Amos Daniel via a motion on matters of urgent public importance noted that “At about 7 PM on Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Ambe, in the outskirts of Gwantu, Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State following the attack from two gunmen who arrived on two motorcycles at the birthday celebration venue of their aged father, killed six people and injured many.”

The lawmaker also noted that youths in the area summoned the courage to apprehend one of the gunmen with his motorcycle and later handed him over to soldiers on guard, adding that some of the victims of the attack are currently receiving treatment at the University of Jos Teaching Hospital.

The Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker further maintained that since the unfortunate incident, residents of the area have been left traumatized and unable to carry out their daily businesses in fear of the unknown.

Following the adoption of the motion, the House observed a minute silence in honour of the dead and called on the IGP to deploy more police personnel to secure the area.

It also urged the IGP, the military and DSS to go the whole distance to ensure that the culprits are arrested and brought to book, while also calling on the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and the National Emergency Management Agency to provide food and non-food items to the affected victims.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd. says it has over 1.5 billion litres stock of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, which will last for over 30 days.

Mr Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd., said this in a statement on Tuesday.

The company called on motorists to shun panic buying of the product as the nationwide supply and distribution of PMS continued to improve across the country.

“In the filling stations monitored across several states, including Lagos and the FCT, the queues have since thinned out, a development that will keep improving daily in other states.

“The Company wishes to state that at the moment, it has over 1.5 billion litres stock of PMS, which is equivalent to over 30 days sufficiency.

“The NNPC Ltd. is also collaborating with relevant agencies, such as the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), labour unions in the sector and security operatives to address hoarding and other unwholesome practices,” he said.