The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative on Wednesday charged Nigerians to use data contained in various NEITI audit reports to hold the government accountable to its citizens.
NEITI’s Executive Secretary, Ogbonnaya Orji, gave the charge at the capacity building programme for the media on the Implementation of the Emerging Issues in the EITI/NEITI Process in Nigeria.
He also charged the media to fully come on board and take up their expected roles in the EITI implementation process by engaging with NEITI reports.
“You should also ensure that data and information contained in the reports are used to push for policy reforms as well as tools to hold government and companies to account,” the new NEITI boss stated.
The NEITI helmsman said his agency had resolved to prioritise the need to link the agency’s regular extractive industry audit reports to visible results and impacts.
“This will be done by working closely with relevant government agencies that have responsibility on the implementation of the recommendations and remedial issues highlighted in our industry audit reports,” he stated.
Orji urged citizens to interrogate the EITI/NEITI process constructively, as this was the only way that the laudable objectives for which Nigeria joined the EITI would be achieved.
He said the transparency agency would also set an annual civil society congress where it would bring together all civil society actors working on the theme of sustainability in the extractive industries.
He stated that aim was to harvest ideas and opportunities that would drive reforms in Nigeria’s extractive sector.
“For us at NEITI, we shall continue to prioritise engagements with all stakeholders because we are clear that it is the only route to achieving the outcomes we all desire if all stakeholders are brought on board,” Orji stated.
He urged civil society organisations and the media to use the opportunity provided by the dialogue to make inputs and suggestions on how best to achieve results for the benefit of the country and its citizens.
