• Super Admin
• 08 Mar, 2026

Akinnawo Johnson, acting managing director of Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) A routine oversight hearing by the House of Representatives Committee on Finance took an unexpected turn last week when a problem as basic as printers brought proceedings to a halt. Lawmakers had convened the session to review the 2023-2025 revenue monitoring exercise covering federal revenue-generating agencies, part of a broader push by parliament to ensure that government bodies properly account for funds that flow into their coffers. But instead of examining revenue figures and remittances, the committee spent much of the time grappling with a more mundane problem: agencies arrived without enough printed documents for lawmakers. With more than a hundred members and staff expected to review submissions, some agencies presented only a handful of copies. Read also: AICL launches automated entry system to curb revenue leakages at Garki market The explanation was simple, officials said, they did not have printers. Among those who appeared before the committee was Akinnawo Johnson, acting managing director of Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET). When lawmakers asked why the agency brought only five copies of the documents requested by the committee, Johnson said NBET had to print the materials externally and could only afford to produce a few copies. For a panel with more than 100 members and staff requiring documents for scrutiny, the explanation stunned lawmakers. When questioned by James Faleke, the committee chairman, Johnson explained that the agency did not have printers and had to rely on external printing services. According to him, the cost of producing multiple copies limited the number the agency could bring. The explanation did little to ease the committee's frustration. Lawmakers said the hearing could not proceed without adequate documentation for members to examine financial details, figures and submissions presented by the agencies under investigation. Officials from the Fiscal Responsibility Commission also arrived with the same number of copies. This forced the committee to postpone the session. Temper flares over 'revenue-generating' status The printer problem was not the only moment that sparked drama and emotions. Tension also flared between lawmakers and the NBET acting managing director during his presentation over status of the agency. The exchange began when Johnson addressed the committee chairman as "Distinguished Senator". Faleke reacted sharply. He said the remark was inappropriate and suggested it appeared to belittle the authority of the House committee. The chairman did not hide his irritation, telling the NBET acting chief that he should know the difference and show proper respect to the chamber before which he was appearing. The moment immediately heightened tensions in the room and set the tone for the exchanges that followed. The atmosphere became more charged when Johnson told lawmakers that NBET was "ipso facto not a revenue-generating entity". According to him, the company does not earn profit from electricity trading. Instead, it receives funding through a regulatory income known as the market administrative charge, which forms a portion of the electricity tariff. He explained that the only funds retained by NBET are a portion of the tariff classified as regulatory income, used to cover the company's operating costs, while its capital projects are financed through But Faleke disagreed with the characterisation. The chairman argued that any money flowing into a government agency qualifies as revenue, regardless of how the funds are later used. Read also: President Tinubu's executive order: A game changer for Nigeria's oil revenue management "When you come to the Committee on Finance and say your agency is not revenue-generating, that is not correct. You generate revenue. The application of that revenue is another matter", Faleke said. But Johnson was insistent, an action that further irritated members, forcing other lawmakers to step in. Munachim Alozie, representing Abia State, was more blunt. He criticised Johnson's tone and warned that appearing to lecture lawmakers about the nature of the agency's revenue was disrespectful. "You were appointed by the government. Who are you answerable to?" he asked. Amid the tense exchanges, the committee eventually shifted back to the documentation issue which forced it to adjourn hearing. Before adjourning the hearing, Faleke directed NBET to return with additional materials, including the letter from the Presidential Debt Recovery Committee authorising the company's registration structure and details of the shareholders of NBET Finance Company Plc. Source: https://businessday.ng/news/article/how-lack-of-printers-documents-stalled-house-probe-into-revenue-generating-agencies/