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• As Reps query agency over N32m proposal for meal
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has said it is collaborating with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission ( EFCC) to recover six billion dollars and another N66 billion oil debt owed the Federal government.
The Executive Secretary, NEITI, Orji Ogbonnnaya, stated this, when he appealed before the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources, Upstream, yesterday.
He explained stated that NEITI is committed to ensuring probity in the oil and gas as well as the mining sector . According to him, some of the critical activities to be undertaken by the agency in the year 2025 include conducting industry report of the oil gas and mining sector.
He added that NEITI will also undertake fiscal allocation and statutory disbursement audit, research studies on the actual volume of Premium Motor Spirit ( PMS) consumed in the country among others.
The NEITI boss explained that from its 2020 and 2021 report alone, over 3.7 billion dollars outstanding liabilities were recovered from companies operating in the oil and gas sector in the country.
Speaking on the 2025 budget proposal, he said NEITI got N6.5 billion for the 2025 financial year. This, according to him, consist of N2.220 billion for personnel, N1.722 billion for overhead and N2.575 billion for capital projects.
Nevertheless, the lawmakers slammed the agency for repeating items budgeted for in 2024, and some items not justifiable in the current economic situation in the country in its 2025 budget proposal.
Kafilat Ogbara queried why the agency will budget N32 million for meals, noting that there is no way you can spend that amount of money for meals in a year.
“Most of our MDAs should ensure that what they are bringing as budget proposal actually tally with the line item and the purpose why you want to use such funds. Let us not just see budget defence as the money is there and we should share it. So, let us see how to get our own share,” Ogbara said.
