Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has called for immediate government action in response to the disturbing revelations by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) 2021 Oil and Gas Industry Audit Report.
 
The organisation, in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said the report had uncovered critical issues within the nation’s oil and gas sector that demanded prompt attention to ensure transparency, accountability and national development.
 
Rafsanjani, who also heads Transparency International (TI), Nigeria Chapter, maintained that the document highlighted a decline in the country’s ranking in the 2021 global corruption perception index, prompting concerns about oversight of the nation’s shared assets by the relevant authorities.
   
He urged the government to investigate and sanction culpable public officials, who reportedly received almost $80 million alleged bribes from Glencore, a multinational mining and commodity trading company.
   
The ED said despite Glencore facing repercussions for bribery, public officials, on the receiving end, have not faced any consequence, hence “CISLAC points to the over US$1 billion paid in bribes by Eni and Royal Dutch Shell for the rights to the OPL 245 offshore oilfield to members of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.” 
   
He noted that the “questionable deal could 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.”
   
The statement reads in part: “The audit findings reveal alarming losses in crude oil due to theft, sabotage and measurement errors, along with significant expenditures on PMS subsidies and quasi-fiscal items. Moreover, 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 regarding crude oil and gas barter arrangements.
 
“CISLAC is calling for immediate action, utilising the legal and regulatory framework provided by the PIA to mobilise civil society for advocacy, public debates, and vigilant monitoring of sector reforms. The organisation advocates for the simplification and widespread dissemination of the report’s key findings to enhance public awareness and drive demand for transparency and accountability.”