The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) have recommitted to the fight against corruption in the oil, gas and mining sectors.
A statement by the Head of Communications & Stakeholder Management, Obiageli Onuorahsaid, the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji and the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede made the commitments when a delegation of NEITI management visited the anti-graft agency.
The NEITI boss explained that the visit became necessary following the change in leadership in the security agency and the need to sustain alliances against crime, especially in the extractive industry.
Orji noted that the EFCC and NEITI have for years collaborated to enforce full compliance of companies and agencies to the implementation of findings and recommendations of the NEITI industry reports.
”The purpose of the visit is to strengthen the existing ties, partnership and cooperation between the two Anti-Corruption Agencies in information and data sharing, investigation and prosecution of financial crimes in the oil, gas and mining industries, Orji explained.
“We see EFCC as our ally and partner that we cannot afford to play with, our allies are few, with a partnership like yours”. Dr. Orji stated.
The NEITI Executive Secretary requested the Commission to support the Agency’s plans to expand its operations to the sub-national government with offices in the six geo-political zones shortly.
Meanwhile, the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, commended NEITI’s professionalism in the discharge of its mandates.
The Chairman urged NEITI to expand and deploy its beneficial ownership register for easier access to other anti-corruption agencies to help public disclosures and deeper measures to check fraud and curb corruption.
He also encouraged NEITI to take public awareness seriously to educate, enlighten and inform the people.