|
Release Of Audit Report: NEITI is
On Course
By Orji Ogbonnaya Orji
Newsdiaryonline Wed Sep 14,20111
Zainab Ahmed,NEITI Scribe
The attention of Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency
Initiative (NEITI) has been drawn to a press statement issued by
some Civil Society Organisations including the CISLAC (Civil
Society Legislative Advocacy Centre) urging NEITI to release the
2006-2008 Audit report.
It is of public interest to note that NEITI released the first
part of the 2006-2008 audit report covering financial flows six
months ago, precisely on the 1st of February 2011. The report
has been on NEITI website since that date till today.
The media and some civil society organisations have continued to
avail themselves of the content of this very important document
in their engagement with NEITI, Government and Companies because
it has always being in the public domain.
On release of the initial part of the audit, NEITI promptly
informed the public that it will require sufficient time to
conclude the physical and process audits in view of the complex
nature to be in a position to release the full report.
The comprehensive audit has been concluded and approved by the
NEITI Board at its meeting held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on 27th
June, 2011.
However, the approval of the report was on condition that
auditors address some key observations before presentation to
the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly as
required by law. The finalised document was received from the
auditors by NEITI Secretariat on Monday 5th September
2011 and a memo to the Federal Executive Council is now ready
and is expected to be presented after a meeting of the NEITI
Board on the 27th of September 2011. These steps NEITI considers
important before dissemination.
On the 2009 -2011 audit of the oil and gas sector, the
procurement process has reached advance stage. Expression of
interest and request for proposal have been received and
evaluated and public opening of the financial bid for the
projects are to be held on Friday 16th of September 2011 after
which a consultant will emerge to handle the projects.
NEITI hopes to conclude these projects by the third quarter of
2012, by that time, NEITI would have covered all the lost
grounds by bringing it audit up to date.
On the solid minerals audit, a mining scoping study is in
progress and expected to be concluded in October 2011 setting
the stage for the audit to commence. The evaluation for the
request for proposal to select the consultant for the project is
in progress through a rigorous competitive procurement process
expected to be concluded by middle October 2011.
Other activities which the NEITI Secretariat are aggressively
implementing to enthrone prudence and corporate governance of
the extractive revenue management in the country includes
resource disbursement audit forwhich procurement process is
equally in progress to be concluded by October.
It is important to appreciate that the civil society
organisations including CISLAC have legitimate interests on the
activities of NEITI but must also acknowledge that the new
management team in NEITI are on track in the implementation of
2011 workplan. All NEITI programmes to meet its mandate to the
public are on course.
At the moment NEITI has commenced a nation-wide training for
Civil Society Organisations to strengthen their capacity on the
interpretation, management and use of information contained in
the audit report to hold government and companies to account.
There is no motivation whatsoever to delay the release of NEITI
Audit reports or delay implementation of any of the task already
earmarked for implementation.
NEITI has remained regularly in communication with the global
EITI and the international community on its activities in view
of the importance to rating Nigerian’s commitment to the
process.
Orji Ogbonnaya Orji is Director Communications ,NEITI
|
