CISLAC WECLOMES SENATE ATTENTION TO NEITI AUDIT REPORT:
URGES THEM TO DO MORE
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre welcomes the attention that the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is devoting to the NEITI Audit Reports for 2013 that was released recently. We welcome the commitment by the Senate President that the Report will be debated henceforth in the Plenary Sessions on the floor of the Senate.
It will be recalled that upon the release of the report on May 23, 2016, CISLAC had in a Statement, decried the recurrence of damning findings it contained and called on the National Assembly to, upon receipt of the Reports, table them for debate in plenary and use it as a springboard to expedite the passage of the PIB.
CISLAC had always advocated that a major component of legislative responsibility in effective oversight of the implementation of the NEITI process and Audit Report, to which Nigeria commits huge amounts of financial and human resources, is to have it debated on the floor of the NASS and thereafter followed by Resolutions which are then followed through for implementation. We had always advocated that these actions were critical in ensuring the implementation of remedial action arising from the reports.
We therefore consider the pronouncements of the Senate President, as widely reported in the media, a welcome development and a step in the right direction. We note that when eventually done, it would be the first time it will be happening since the commencement of the implementation of the NEITI process in Nigeria.
CISLAC believes that the debate in plenary will, in addition to publicizing the findings to promote deeper debates among citizens, contribute to facilitating the implementation of the recommendations of the auditors, by engaging the NSWG to promptly set up the Inter-Ministerial Task Team, IMTT and prompting them into immediate action.
We therefore urge the senate to do more by ensuring that these pronouncements by her President does not end up as a mere media show and quest for positive media attention but is followed up by action that will culminate into the immediate scheduling of the report for plenary debate as promised. Such debates, when held, should be devoid of sensationalism, partisanship and politics, but robust, focused, issue based and constructive, portraying the level of intelligence and constructiveness that Nigerians expect of their elected representatives. They should then be concluded with Resolutions that are practical and actionable with the NASS deploying every strategy within their powers to ensure implementation so as to deepen the level of transparency and accountability in the extractive sector.
We call on the House of Representatives to follow suit in debating the reports an also coming up with useful Resolutions. CISLAC calls on the relevant Committees in both chambers to strengthen their oversight of the covered entities and other agencies involved in the management of revenues from our natural resources, to ensure that they lead up to expectations as a proactive way of preventing the recurrence of the nature of findings reported in the 2013 in subsequent reports.
CISLAC reiterates the call on the Federal Government to urgently commence the process for the passage of the PIB. We recall that the party in government had promised during the campaigns that they would ensure the passage of the PIBwithin one year if voted into office. We are therefore disappointed that this is yet to be done. The commitment to send a draft bill within the first quarter of 2016 has also obviously passed without fulfillment. We are aware that both chambers of the NASS have draft Bills pending before them. Now is the time to give this greater attention and demonstrate the sense of urgency that this matter deserves.
CISLAC, working with the media and all other stakeholders, will continue to engage the National Assembly to ensure that they fulfill their obligations to the Nigerian people until the management of extractive revenues translate to tangible benefits and development for all citizens.
Signed:
Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)
Executive Director, CISLAC
Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)
Executive Director
Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)
Acting General Secretary West Africa Civil Society Forum (WACSOF)
Head of Transparency International (Nigeria)
No. 16, House 3, P.O.W. Mafemi Crescent, Off Solomon Lar way,
Behind Chida Hotel near Daily Trust News Paper,
Utako District, Abuja-Nigeria.
Website: www.cislacnigeria.net
Email: rafsanjani@cislacnigeria.net,rafsanjanikano@gmail.com,
rafsanjanikano@aol.com,cislac@cislacnigeria.net,
GSM: +234-8033844646, +234-8052370333
CISLAC HAS UN ECOSOC CONSULTATIVE STATUS
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