Politicians, IOCs committing human rights offenses for mismanaging oil resources, says NEITI

Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), in Abuja, yesterday, said mismanagement of extractive revenues and other infractions in the country’s extractive sector is a violation of human rights.

The country wallows in poverty, despite being the largest oil producer in Africa.

The Guardian had reported that over N103 trillion was stolen in Illicit Financial Flows (IFF) in recent years.

The development, which has pushed the country near bankruptcy, is coming at a time Nigeria is borrowing N8.80 trillion to finance an N10.7 trillion budget.

Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, while leading a delegation of NEITI board, management and a coalition of civil society advocates in Nigeria’s extractive sector on a courtesy call to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said the lack of transparency and accountability in the management of extractive revenues could lead to many social vices, which result in violation of the rights of citizens.

He said: “NEITI considers mismanagement of oil, gas and mineral resources as a violation of human rights. This is manifested in terms of environmental pollution, climate injustice, violation of host communities’ rights, denial of participation in natural resources management, inequity in benefits sharing, revenue and social infrastructures, and in extreme cases, intimidation and harassment of civil society advocates.”

Calling for a Memorandum of Understanding and establishment of a technical committee between NEITI and NHRC to work out modalities for the partnership, Orji said it remained the duty of the government to protect the rights of its citizens, media and civil society actors that are engaging in campaign and advocacy for transparency and accountability in the management of oil, gas, and mining resources.

He said: “This commitment is part of the requirements of the 2019 EITI Standard and Civil Society Protocol, which must be followed by all member countries. These rights include freedom of expression, assembly, association and access to public decisions and information in the extractive industries.

“NEITI has, therefore, identified NHRC as a sister agency it can partner with to grant protection to those engaging in the sector.”

The Executive Secretary of NHRC, Anthony Ojukwu, said collaboration between NEITI and NHRC on relationship management with civil society is commendable, adding that NHRC’s mandate centres on the protection of the citizenry who are carrying out their legitimate activities.

He said: “NEITI is a credible organisation, and I’m happy to identify with an institution that is at the centre of efforts aimed at pushing the frontiers of good governance.

“I have followed the achievements and impacts of NEITI in the governance of the extractive industry. I believe that the protection of civic space is an initiative we can work together to strengthen.”