Rotimi Morgan/
Concerned over the sanctity of Nigeria’s petroleum industry, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working on Transparency and Accountability in the extractive sector have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to let go of the portfolio of Minister of Petroleum Resources.
Rising from a meeting at Golf-View Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, on October 6, 2017, the group called on Buhari to urgently relieve himself of the portfolio of the Minister of Petroleum Resources and appoint a substantive Minister for Petroleum Resources forthwith.
“This is to enable more efficient and effective management of this critical sector of the nation’s economy. This has become even more necessary in view of the allegations of award of a series of contracts at the NNPC up to the tune of a whopping $25 billion or N9trillion. And the President cannot be judge and arbiter of himself,” says a statement signed by the Accountability in the Extractive Sector Cluster (SACE PROJECT).
The statement further says: “It is particularly worrisome to note that the total contract sum of N9trillion is more than our current year’s budget of N7.6trillion. The Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working on Transparency and Accountability in the extractive sector are concerned that the President has kept mum since the allegations emerged in the public domain. We believe that this silence is ominous considering the enormity of the allegations and the amount involved.
“The CSOs hereby state as follows:
“The Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working on Transparency and Accountability in the extractive sector hereby restate our commitment to ensure probity, transparency and accountability in the extractive sector of the nation’s economy.”
The statement was signed by Dr. Harry Udoh of Support & Training Entrepreneurship Program; Mr Adesina Adefolahan of the Community Education Advancement of Peace and Development Initiative, Mr Akintayo Akinpelu of Youth Future Savers Initiative, and Biodun Oyeleye of New Initiative for Social Development.
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