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.

INTEGRITY NEWS 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.

END.