Category: News

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) is urgently calling upon the government to take immediate action in response to the deeply concerning revelations unveiled by the NEITI 2021 Oil and Gas Industry Audit Report.

In a press release signed by Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Executive Director of CISLAC, the organization emphasizes that the report has exposed critical issues within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector that require swift attention to ensure transparency, accountability, and optimal national development.

Rafsanjani, who leads the Transparency International Nigeria Chapter, underscored that the report has brought to light a decline in Nigeria’s ranking and score in the Transparency International (TI) 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index. This decline highlights ongoing concerns regarding the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s stewardship of the nation’s shared assets.

“The audit findings have uncovered distressing losses in crude oil due to theft, sabotage, and measurement errors, in addition to substantial expenditures on PMS subsidies and quasi-fiscal items. Furthermore, the report sheds light on unremitted or under-remitted federation revenues, misapplication of the 13% derivation principle, issues related to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), sector governance, and concerns surrounding crude oil and gas barter arrangements.

“CISLAC is urgently calling for action, utilizing the legal and regulatory framework provided by the PIA to rally civil society for advocacy, public discourse, and vigilant monitoring of sector reforms. The organization advocates for the simplification and wide dissemination of the report’s key findings to enhance public awareness and stimulate the demand for transparency and accountability.

“Moreover, the non-profit legislative advocacy group urges the enhancement of the capacity of civic actors focused on the extractive sector concerning vital strategies and sector-specific matters within the PIA, including beneficial ownership, contract transparency, audit remediation, and metering. CISLAC underscores the crucial importance of tracking and following up on remediation efforts and host community development.

“In alignment with the PIA, CISLAC calls for improved data management processes within government agencies involved in reporting and conducting transactions within the sector. The organization also insists on a comprehensive investigation and audit into subsidy payments, Project Eagle loans, and other loan agreements in exchange for the nation’s crude oil and gas.

“CISLAC, as the Nigerian chapter of Transparency International (TI), is urging the National Assembly to provide effective oversight of the implementation of the legal framework for the extractive sector and to take substantial action on the recommendations outlined in the NEITI audit report,” the statement concludes.

The statement also presses the Nigerian government to investigate and hold accountable public officials who allegedly accepted nearly $80 million in bribes from Glencore, a multinational mining and commodity trading company.

Despite Glencore facing repercussions for bribery, the officials on the receiving end have not faced any consequences. Similarly, CISLAC points to over US$1 billion in bribes paid by Eni and Royal Dutch Shell for the rights to the OPL 245 offshore oilfield to members of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. This contentious deal could potentially cost Nigeria as much as US$5 billion due to poorly negotiated fiscal terms, in addition to the US$1.1 billion already lost due to corrupt payments, as outlined by Italian prosecutors.

CISLAC remains unwavering in its commitment to driving positive change and upholding the principles of transparency, accountability, and good governance within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Lastly, CISLAC commends the NEITI Secretariat for its ongoing efforts to expand transparency and accountability within the extractive sector.

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has taken a significant step towards strengthening the capabilities of journalists in reporting on the defense and security sector.

The initiative comes as part of a one-day Media Dialogue event held in Abuja, which focused on the theme of “Effective Oversight and Defense Anti-Corruption Reportage.”

Bertha Ogbimi, a Senior Programme Person in Peace and Security at CISLAC, emphasized the critical role journalists play in shedding light on the defense sector’s activities.

During the event, she stressed the importance of equipping journalists with the skills and knowledge necessary to pose the right questions, thereby ensuring the public remains well-informed.

Ogbimi pointed out that the primary objective of the workshop was to empower journalists with the tools to exercise effective oversight over the defense sector.

She underlined the significance of holding the sector accountable and fostering transparency, particularly in cases where best practices may be lacking.

This initiative reflects CISLAC’s commitment to promoting responsible journalism and ensuring that the defense and security sector remains open to scrutiny, contributing to anti-corruption efforts and good governance in the country.

By investing in the professional development of journalists, CISLAC is poised to make a lasting impact on the quality and depth of reporting on defense-related matters, ultimately benefitting the Nigerian public.

”Nigeria is bedevilled by multi dimensional security challenges and because of these, a lot of allocations have been launched into the defence and security sector.

”One would expect that normally, with the amount of monies being channelled to the defence and security sector, the issues pertaining to insecurity would have been addressed.

“However, unfortunately, we see an upsurge in these challenges. As a matter of fact, a particular area called conflict entrepreneurship is booming.

“So, you begin to wonder, why are we getting a counter reaction when we are putting in so much money.

“Sometimes you get to talk with security personnel, and they tell you that they do not have what it takes to challenge armed opposition groups.”

Ogbimi added that although a lot of money was allocated in the defence and security budgets and allocations but the welfare of security personnel has remained a challenge.

“So some questions need to be asked, because the money is our taxpayers money and so we need some answers.

“We are not saying that the security operations and procurements and the finances of security institutions should be made completely bare

“We recognise the fact that there is such a thing as natural security, we are all patriotic citizens, we cannot bare our military in the public.

“What are those information that are not detrimental to national security that could be made available for citizens to truly understand where their taxpayers monies are going?

Ogbimi emphasized that, considering the escalating insecurity instead of its reduction, it is imperative for journalists to seek answers to pressing questions.

She asserted that doing so would enable stakeholders in the defense and security sector to fulfill their roles and responsibilities effectively, as they would be aware of the scrutiny they are under.

This, she believed, would contribute to improving the overall security situation in Nigeria.

During his presentation on the topic of “Good Practices in Defence and Security Investigative Reporting,” Mr. Senator Iroegbu urged journalists to be mindful of their mission.

He stressed that investigative journalism plays a pivotal role in fostering transparency, raising awareness, instigating reforms, and deterring misconduct.

Furthermore, he encouraged journalists to maintain high ethical standards in their work and consistently pursue the truth. Mr. Iroegbu called for immediate efforts to enhance the capacity of journalists and media professionals.

He underscored the urgency of equipping journalists and media practitioners with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively oversee the security sector.

“To hold the security sector accountable, journalists must be adequately trained in understanding the intricacies of this complex domain. This entails specialized training and continuous capacity building.”

The event underscored the importance of journalist specialization in bolstering the efficacy of security sector oversight and underscored the critical role of General Defense Information (GDI) expertise in achieving this objective.

Also, there was a call for the government to embark on security sector reforms aimed at tackling the issue of secrecy within the sector.

Ecobank has issued another warning regarding the perils of SIM swap fraud, emphasizing the potential for fraudsters to exploit this method for impersonation.

In an email message sent to its customers, the bank elucidated that SIM swap fraud transpires when malicious individuals utilize your phone number to gain unauthorized access to your accounts.

According to the bank, “Scammers impersonate you and trick your mobile phone’s carrier into activating a SIM card, which gives them control over your phone number. It means scammers could potentially enter your username and password when logging onto your online banking platform and then receive the SMS verification code to access your account.

“Protect yourself against SIM swaps, don’t share personal information that fraudsters could use to impersonate you (such as your mother’s maiden name or birthplace) on social media. Never reveal your logins and passwords for your mobile phone, online bank, or credit card accounts to anyone. Please always report any suspicious activity”.

The Pan African bank has also issued a reminder to its customers, emphasizing that the bank would never request their personal or financial information.

They strongly advised customers to exercise caution when receiving emails containing website links, urging them to verify the legitimacy of the website before visiting it.

Ecobank also urged its customers not to engage with emails, text messages, or unsolicited phone calls from unfamiliar individuals requesting their personal or banking information.