NEITI partners ICPC to curb financial misconduct, corruption in extractive industry
Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja
The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), is collaborating to address issues of corruption and financial misconduct in the nation’s extractive industry.
The Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji noted that both agencies have established a joint cooperation arrangement on anti-corruption issues, under which the ICPC would set up a special extractive industry desk while NEITI would in turn feed the desk with information and data on extractive industry revenue process abuses, lapses and corruption issues.
He said that the joint cooperation arrangement between the two agencies became necessary to strengthen NEITI’s capacity to hold accountable, covered entities that fail to address issues or respond positively and timely to remedial issues contained in NEITI reports.
A statement made available to newsmen by Head, Communications and Advocacy of NEITI, Obiageli Onuorah on Wednesday in Abuja, further quoted Orji as saying it was a welcome development which would ensure “adequate sanctions and consequences for financial misconduct in the extractive industries are meted out to erring covered entities.
Chairman of the ICPC Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye welcomed NEITI’s initiative to seek partnership and collaboration in areas where NEITI needs help and support.
“I pledge the support of the Commission under this joint cooperation arrangement. We will offer our support in the areas of investigation and prosecution which we consider, important steps towards checking corruption in the oil, gas and mining sector.”
Owasanoye commended NEITI for collaborating with the National Assembly and leading civil society advocacy actors for early passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
