NEITI seeks ICPC partnership to prosecute “oil thieves”

The Nigerian Extractive Industries Initiative (NEITI) has called for partnership with the ICPC to enable the agency prosecutes corrupt officials in the oil and gas industry.
The NEITI Executive Secretary, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, made the call on Wednesday in Abuja when she visited Mr Ekpo Nta, the Acting Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission.
She said: “the visit is aimed at further exploring possible areas of collaboration and build a stronger partnership between ICPC and NEITI.

The Nigerian Extractive Industries Initiative (NEITI) has called for partnership with the ICPC to enable the agency prosecutes corrupt officials in the oil and gas industry.
The NEITI Executive Secretary, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, made the call on Wednesday in Abuja when she visited Mr Ekpo Nta, the Acting Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission.
She said: “the visit is aimed at further exploring possible areas of collaboration and build a stronger partnership between ICPC and NEITI.
“This is because NEITI has identified ICPC as a necessary partner in the fight against corruption in the oil, gas and solid minerals sector.’’
Ahmed, who decried the high level of corruption in the oil and gas sector, however, said “the NEITI Act 2007 does not empower the agency to prosecute offenders and that’s why it’s seeking collaboration with anti-corruption agencies.
“Although the NEITI Act of 2007 empowers us to impose sanctions on erring entities, we do not have the necessary capacity to prosecute offenders.’’
She called for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both agencies to enable them enforce the act and investigate complaints identified in NEITI audit reports.
Ahmed said that NEITI was concerned about the increasing spate of oil theft in the Niger Delta and urged the ICPC and other security agencies to join the fight to stem the tide.
Responding, Nta described the visit as long overdue, “considering the corruption in the oil and gas industry and the need to fast track economic development through the sector.
“I think our meeting today is long overdue because the mandate given to NEITI and what we are doing in ICPC is such that we should be working hand in hand, especially when we consider that the major revenue earning  sector of this country is the extractive industry.’’
The acting ICPC chairman said the anti-graft agency was willing to partner NEITI in view of the strategic roles both performed and the need to enthrone transparency in the sector.
Nta stressed the need for Nigeria to follow international best practice in its operations in the extractive industry to grow the economy through the sector.
He pledged to promote synergy with NEITI and assist in capacity building for staff so as to have coordinated approach toward its operations
Nta said the ICPC would put in place the necessary machinery with its legal department to en