Civil society organizations, CSOs, in Nigeria have been urged to adopt an evidence-based approach in holding public institutions and officials accountable.
This followed calls for a change in the leaderships of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC.
Questions have been raised over NNPCL’s energy security expenditure, while controversy is surrounding the recent licensing round conducted by the NUPRC.
Speaking on the matter, Dr Olayemi Isaac, Executive Director of the Good Governance Index, said calls for the removal of Group Managing Director of the NNPCL, Bayo Ojulari, and Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, NUPRC boss, should not be based on unsubstantiated allegations.
“What Nigeria requires is stronger oversight, better disclosure and continuous institutional accountability. Where there are concerns, let the evidence be examined and let the appropriate institutions do their work. We should not confuse criticism with accountability or accusation with proof,” he said.
Calling for an “evidence-based approach in scrutinizing public institutions”, Isaac said the Freedom of Information Act provides a legitimate avenue for obtaining information and seeking clarification.
He said CSOs should engage public institutions directly where they require explanations, rather than advancing claims that may not have been sufficiently investigated.
According to him, the licensing round, which attracted 143 companies that submitted 200 bids for 37 of the 50 oil and gas blocks on offer, was evidence that Nigeria could create a competitive investment environment when petroleum assets were allocated through clearly defined rules.
The 37 blocks that attracted bids cut across the Niger Delta, Benin, Anambra and Chad basins, as well as the Benue trough.
“The licensing round represents an important test of Nigeria’s commitment to transparency in the management of its petroleum resources. From the participation of investors to the evaluation of bids and the involvement of relevant government institutions, the process showed that petroleum assets can be administered through a framework that is competitive, predictable and open to scrutiny,” Isaac said.
He described the emergence of 31 successful companies from the process as an opportunity to expand exploration, attract fresh capital and increase Nigeria’s future production capacity.
Isaac also noted that NUPRC’s insistence on financial commitments by successful bidders would ensure that they fulfil their obligations. “The message that acreage must translate into investment, exploration and production is exactly what Nigeria needs at this stage of its petroleum industry,” he said.
Isaac, in the same vein, said the debate
around the NNPCL’s N7.13 trillion energy security expenditure should be guided by the contents of the company’s audited accounts and the legal framework under which the expenditure was incurred.
“These are issues that deserve scrutiny, but scrutiny must be based on documents, facts and proper interpretation rather than conclusions drawn from a headline figure,” he said.
CSOs urged to adopt evidence-based approach in holding govt institutions accountable