By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja

The House of Representatives on Wednesday threatened to issue warrants of arrest against chief executives of telecommunications companies if they fail to appear before its committee investigating persistent poor network services across the country.

The warning was issued by the House Ad Hoc Committee investigating the quality of telecommunications services after lawmakers rejected an attempt by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) to represent the affected companies through its chairman, Engr.

The committee, chaired by Rep.

The committee had, on October 21, invited MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, Mafab Communications and other licensed operators to explain persistent complaints about dropped calls, slow internet connectivity, failed transactions and inadequate network coverage.

However, the operators reportedly delegated Adebayo to represent them at the hearing, a move that drew the committee’s disapproval, with lawmakers insisting that each company must personally account for its service delivery and address complaints relating to its operations.

Moving a motion on the matter, Rep. Sunday Umeha argued that the telecommunications companies were individually licensed by the Federal Government and could not rely on their membership of an industry association to avoid appearing before the legislature.

Umeha also faulted a letter reportedly written by ALTON questioning the committee’s authority to compel the operators to attend the hearing, describing the position as inconsistent with the constitutional responsibilities of the National Assembly.

“I was shocked with what I saw in the letter. I saw a situation where ALTON is saying that they are not bound to appear before this committee. They see their appearance as a privilege to this committee and not as a statutory obligation,” he said.

Citing Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, Umeha maintained that the National Assembly had the authority to investigate matters within its legislative competence, including the implementation of government policies affecting telecommunications services.

He argued that the committee was not bound by ALTON’s internal arrangements and that the operators should appear individually unless the committee expressly accepted an authorised representative.

The position was reinforced when a representative of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) confirmed that the commission had communicated the invitations to the chief executives individually.

The confirmation further angered lawmakers, who maintained that the operators had received sufficient notice and had been given adequate opportunities to honour the invitation.

Umeha recalled that the committee had considered a motion to summon the executives for arrest at its previous sitting but agreed to give them another opportunity to appear.

He said the operators had again failed to honour the invitation despite additional communication facilitated through the NCC.

Seconding the motion, the House spokesperson, Rep. Akin Rotimi Jr., also faulted ALTON’s attempt to speak on behalf of the operators, arguing that telecommunications subscribers deal directly with individual service providers and expect each company to be accountable for its network performance.

Rotimi expressed concern over poor network coverage in parts of his constituency in Ekiti State, warning that the absence of mobile signals in some communities and along major routes could have serious security implications.

He alleged that two traditional rulers in his constituency had been killed in an ambush along a stretch of road where mobile network signals were unavailable for approximately 20 minutes.

The lawmaker said such connectivity gaps could leave residents and travellers unable to contact security agencies or seek emergency assistance when confronted with danger.

He further criticised telecommunications operators for concentrating infrastructure in commercially attractive locations while leaving some rural communities and underserved areas with inadequate coverage.

The committee also questioned Adebayo over a reported ₦8.46 billion fine imposed on Globacom, asking whether the ALTON chairman could adequately address regulatory and operational issues concerning an individual company while appearing in a representative capacity.

Following deliberations, Osoba put Umeha’s motion to a voice vote, and the ayes prevailed. The committee subsequently adjourned its sitting until November 4, 2026, when the affected operators are expected to appear.

NCC figures highlight scale of consumer complaints

The investigation comes amid sustained public complaints about deteriorating telecommunications services, including dropped calls, slow internet speeds, failed airtime and data transactions, and persistent gaps in network coverage.

The NCC reportedly disclosed on October 20 that telecommunications operators had compensated 75 million subscribers for poor service in 2026, while nearly three million other subscribers received refunds for failed airtime and data transactions.

The commission also reported that more than 6,500 network interventions had been undertaken during the year to address service-related challenges.

Despite these interventions and compensation measures, consumer complaints have remained significant.

Data for the first half of 2026 showed that the four major operators recorded a combined 413,587 consumer complaints. Airtel Nigeria accounted for 228,992 complaints, followed by MTN Nigeria with 124,405, Globacom with 56,810 and T2mobile with 3,885.

Although the operators reportedly resolved 406,938 complaints, concerns over the consistency and reliability of telecommunications services have persisted, raising questions about the effectiveness of existing measures to protect subscribers.

The House committee is seeking direct explanations from the operators’ leadership on the causes of persistent service failures and the concrete steps being taken to improve network quality.

The November 4 hearing is expected to provide an opportunity for the lawmakers to examine the operators’ infrastructure investments, compliance with regulatory requirements and efforts to extend reliable services to underserved communities.

Cross River Moves to Resettle Community Displaced by 16-year Conflict

The Cross River government has renewed efforts to resettle indigenes of Ebijakara community, Abi Local Government Area, displaced by a protracted communal conflict for about 16 years.

Deputy Governor, Peter Odey, gave the assurance on Wednesday during a meeting with community leaders and security stakeholders at Government House, Calabar.

Odey reaffirmed the government’s commitment to resolving outstanding issues arising from the conflict between Ebom and Ebijakara communities.

The conflict, involving Ebom and Ebijakara, as well as Ediba and Usumutong communities, began around 2005.

Although hostilities officially ended on June 20, 2020, Ebijakara remains largely deserted, with many displaced indigenes yet to return to their ancestral homes.

The renewed intervention seeks to address unresolved issues, facilitate the safe return of displaced residents and restore normal life in the affected community.

The situation has persisted despite recommendations by the 2019 Ndoma-Egba Peace Committee, which sought to establish a framework for resolving the crisis.

The recommendations were also expected to promote peaceful coexistence among the affected communities and provide a lasting solution to their disputes.

The meeting brought together community leaders and security stakeholders to deliberate on advancing the peace process and addressing the lingering consequences of the conflict.

For displaced Ebijakara indigenes, successful resettlement would mark a significant step towards rebuilding their lives, restoring livelihoods and reclaiming homes abandoned for years.

The government’s renewed commitment comes six years after the official end of hostilities, with the community still awaiting the full restoration of normalcy. (NAN)

By Innocent Okwuosa

The implementation of IFRS S1 and S2 must not be approached strictly from a regulatory compliance perspective. Rather, it should lead to a change in responsible business behaviour.

One of the documents in the Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) Phase Two implementation, requires an entity to identify all Sustainability Related Risks and Opportunities (SRROs) that could reasonably be expected to affect its prospect and carry out a materiality assessment of each identified SRRO.

The magnitude of occurrence speaks directly to financial materiality i.e. SRRO’s effect on financial performance, position, cash flow, and access to or costs of capital. Prioritisation should be predicated on the SRROs with the highest financial effect, determined as likelihood/probability of occurrence multiplied by the magnitude. It is not my intention to go into the intricacies involved in this determination, but ultimately the entity would identify and prioritise the SRROs that could affect its prospect.

As such, the integration of sustainability begins with the entity identifying the sustainability practices that address the identified and materially assessed SRROs. Then, the entity must first update its Risk

Register to include all the identified and materially assessed sustainability related risks. By doing this it would have acknowledged that they are part of the risks that it will now have to deal with and manage, going forward. If after Phase Two, an entity has not updated its Risk Register to include sustainability related risks, then there is outstanding work to be done. These form part of the risks to be integrated in the entity’s wider Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework. The ERM is a Phase Three document, and so it will be covered in future series.

Let us now focus on the sustainability practices to address the identified and materially assessed sustainability related risks. The implementation of IFRS S1 and S2 should embed sustainability practices within an entity’s operation, but this is not always the case, especially when implementation has been approached from a regulatory compliance perspective. The starting point in addressing the identified sustainability related risks is for the entity to come up with sustainability practices that will help manage these risks.

By instituting practices that address the SRRO, sustainability disclosures will now be about an entity’s sustainability practices. Such practices can be articulated in a document called its Sustainability Practices Framework or Policy. The implementation of IFRS S1 and S2 should result in the production of this Framework or Policy. Let us take the example of a brewery where the industry guidance shows that water is a sustainability risk facing that industry. Having identified and materially assessed this risk, then the question would be what practice the entity is putting in place to manage water. This would then form part of what is contained in the Sustainability Practices Framework or Policy.

Energy management is a material sustainability risk in the hotel business, hence the practices an entity in this industry puts in place to manage energy are part of its sustainability practices. In the financial sector, integration of ESG in credit analysis and investment management is a sustainability risk. What practices a financial institution has put in place to address this forms part of what is captured in its Sustainability Practices Framework or Policy. We can go on and on. You can now understand why identification and materiality assessment holds the key to the integration of sustainability practices in an entity’s operation.

The above explains why IFRS S2 requires the disclosure of certain industry specific metrics as a way of measuring performance on sustainability practices. That is why IFRS S2 will require an entity, for instance, in the food and beverage industry to disclose its energy management practices through metrics like (1) operational energy consumed, (2) percentage grid electricity, and (3) percentage renewable and water management practices through other metrics like (1) total water withdrawn, (2) total water consumed; percentage of each in regions with High or Extremely High Baseline Water Stress. Sustainability practices are what lead to reduction in energy and water consumption, thereby mitigating their impacts on the environment.

Evidence from the field shows that what I have stated above about a Sustainability Practices Framework or Policy is challenged, and I want to dwell a little bit on this. The first challenge stems from the fact that the FRC documentation does not require an entity to submit a Sustainability Practices Framework or Policy. Rather, what FRC requires in Phase Two is a Sustainability Disclosure Policy, and this is understandable since FRC’s focus is on reporting and disclosures, which are its mandate.

During implementation, some entities show that they have ESG or Sustainability Policy or Framework, and when one looks at these, one discovers that they are full of aspirational statements such as: “we believe the environment should be good for all,” “we will ensure we cause no damage to people and the environment and will work harmoniously with communities where we operate,” etc. In all, we see genuine intentions to evolve sustainability practices by these entities, but the missing link is evolving actual practices that address the identified and materially assessed sustainability-related risks, as opposed to just crafting aspirational statements.

Another challenge is that the existing ESG or Sustainability Framework or Policy serves different purposes and does not always mean the same thing from one entity to another. In one entity, it may contain those aspirational statements and embed the entity’s ERM and list of operational and conventional risks the entity is managing. In others, it tends towards a disclosure framework and risk governance structure. Thus, existing ESG or Sustainability Framework or Policy does not strictly address Sustainability Practices deployed to manage identified and materially assessed SRRO.

However, there are some entities in the financial sector that have done very well in articulating practices around how ESG has been integrated into their credit analysis following sustainable banking principles, but limitations still exist as these do not address financed emission, which is understandable. Similarly in other sectors, sustainability practices to manage sustainability risks are in place. In all, they do not always address all identified SRROs which IFRS S1 and S2 implementation will trigger.

Where the entity is now asked to produce the right Sustainability Practices Framework or Policy in line with the exigencies of IFRS S1 and S2 implementation, the challenge becomes the fact that it is not part of what FRC has specified, leaving it at the discretion of the entity to produce as an internal document. Yet, it is advisable for entities to still produce Sustainability Practices Frameworks or Policies, as if it is part of what should be submitted to FRC, even if they are internal documents, as these mark the beginning of embedding sustainability practices within the operation of the entities.

In a future amendment of the Sustainability Reporting Guideline (SRG Two), we will advocate for FRC to include Sustainability Practices Framework or Policy as an additional document to be submitted to it. Sustainability Practices should speak to a Sustainability Strategy to present an overall picture of how an entity is responding to or plans to respond to Sustainability Related Risks and Opportunities. In this lies

the integration of sustainability practices into an entity’s operation and a change in business behaviour, since practices are bound to change behaviour.

Innocent Okwuosa is the immediate past chair, NIRC; the 59th president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, and an adjunct associate professor at Pan Atlantic University, Lekki, Lagos.

By Laide Akinboade Abuja

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said the Ogoni people of Rivers State will reward President Bola Tinubu with their votes in the 2027 general elections for giving them a Federal University of Environment and Technology and appointing their sons and daughters into key federal positions.

The Minister, who said the Federal University of Environment Technology will become a major driver of employment, economic growth and development in the Ogoni area, spoke on Wednesday at a Rainbow Coalition town hall meeting with the people of Tai at Gbenegininwa Hall, Saakpenwa, Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State.

He urged residents to appreciate the long-term benefits of the institution, describing its establishment as a significant achievement that could transform the fortunes of the area.

Wike said the university was the product of sustained efforts by the late Senator Barry Mpigi, who worked to secure federal approval for its establishment before his death.

According to Wike, the process of establishing a federal university requires extensive legislative and executive procedures, making the institution a major opportunity for the people of Tai and the wider Ogoni community.

“If you don’t know what it is, even me as a minister, it would be difficult to go through the National Assembly. The National Assembly will pass it, it will now go to the President. Sometimes, the bill will stay there for years,” he said.

The minister urged the people not to underestimate the institution’s potential, noting that its benefits would become more evident as it expanded its academic programmes and operations.

“You don’t know what you have because the university just started. By the time this university stays four years, five years, then you will know the development,” he said.

Wike added that the institution would create employment opportunities for young people and generate economic activities that would benefit residents and businesses in the host community.

He said the university’s presence would provide opportunities for qualified indigenous people to secure jobs while stimulating demand for accommodation, transportation, trade and other services.

At the town hall meeting, Wike also welcomed political associates who had returned to the Rainbow Coalition after disagreements, describing their reunion as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation among leaders and supporters.

He said the group had not broken into separate political parties, adding that the disagreements that arose among members should not prevent them from working together.

“Let me first of all welcome my brothers. They didn’t go anywhere. There was no fight, they didn’t go to any other party, the same party, but there was a small fight and so we’ve all come back together to work as a team,” he said.

The minister commended the local government chairman for his commitment to reconciliation and urged the leadership to ensure that returning members were treated fairly.

He said the reintegration process should be genuine and inclusive, stressing that political differences should not be allowed to undermine the group’s cohesion.

Wike said the meeting was also intended to enable political stakeholders to assess their options and consider what would best serve the interests of Tai, Ogoni and the Rivers South-East Senatorial District.

He urged residents to examine the records of political leaders seeking their support rather than rely solely on campaign promises.

The minister questioned what some political figures had done for the area while occupying public offices, arguing that voters should assess their contributions to the development of Rivers State and the country.

Wike also challenged political leaders in Tai to meet a proposed target of securing 70 per cent of votes for President Tinubu and other candidates supported by the Rainbow Coalition in the forthcoming elections.

He clarified that the target was based on votes cast in favour of the candidates, rather than 70 per cent of registered voters.

The minister recalled that Tai had traditionally been among the first local governments to deliver its election results in the Rivers South-East Senatorial District.

He encouraged the local government to maintain its record, adding that it could receive additional support if it achieved the target.

Wike said the proposed incentive was intended to encourage political mobilisation and strengthen the coalition’s grassroots organisation.

The minister’s remarks came as the Tai Local Government Council disclosed plans to partner with him on an estate project intended to provide accommodation for students, parents and visitors to the institution.

The Council Chairman and Rainbow Coalition Coordinator in Tai, Mbakpone Okpe, said the necessary processes had been concluded, with developers expected to sign an agreement ahead of the project’s commencement.

Okpe also disclosed that the council had constructed the university’s entrance gate and an approximately one-kilometre dual carriageway within the premises to complement the Federal Government’s investment.

The local government chairman had earlier told the gathering that Tai recorded 4,568 collected Permanent Voter Cards during the first-quarter distribution exercise.

Okpe said the coalition was working to integrate former members and mobilise supporters across the local government’s 10 wards.

He also said the council had set aside N100 million in an account in preparation for the proposed incentive scheme.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for the people of Tai to pay tribute to the late Senator Barry Mpigi and thank Wike for his support following the senator’s death in March 2026.

Okpe said the minister took responsibility for the burial arrangements, easing the burden on the deceased’s family and the community.

He described Wike’s intervention as evidence of his long standing relationship with the late senator and the people of Tai.

The chairman also disclosed that his administration spent about N120 million monthly on an empowerment programme benefiting at least 3,400 people.

He said the council would continue to support the university’s development and pursue additional projects to improve infrastructure and living conditions across Tai.