The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) yesterday observed the reforms initiated in the extractive sector by the present administration have been slow and shallow.
The group also observed that, after three years in government, most of the promises made have remained unfulfilled, adding that development and launching with so much fanfare of the 7Big Wins among other several steps taken have not translated into real reforms.
CISLAC’s Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa, represented by the Senior Programme Officer, Kolawole Banwo, during a chat with newsmen in Abuja, called on the office of the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to initiate the process for reconstituting the Inter-ministerial Task Team (IMTT).
According to the group, this will make the IMTT more accountable, effective and also improve the level of implementation of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) audit reports.
The group recalled that the NNPC that was reported to have paid itself the sum of N216 billion in 2017 as subsidy or under-recovery cannot be said to have been reformed in any substantial way.
“We lament that beyond the PIGB, other legislations which are critical for efficiency in the sector and touches on the interest of oil producing communities have remained elusive.”
The group also called on the Ministry of Justice to intensify efforts and collaboration and fast track the process of implementing open contracting and beneficial ownership as committed to in the OGP.
“We also call the federal government to ensure that the oil and gas sector and the NNPC is not manipulated in any way to siphon our collective commonwealth for use in funding political campaigns and the ambitions of individuals as has been done in the past,” he said.
