NEITI/NDDC PARTNERSHIP A BOOST FOR TRANSPARENCY ANEEJ AFFIRMS
7th February, 2017.
Press Release
Abuja, Nigeria…The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, has expressed delight with the recent announcement of a partnership between the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, and the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, saying that it has great potential to help firm up the enthronement of transparency and accountability in the operations of the NDDC and stimulate the development of the region.
ANEEJ executive director, the Rev David Ugolor expressed this delight following news of the partnership between NEITI and the NDDC. ‘This move to take transparency to the next level in the NDDC will help reverse the resource curse and build on the momentum generated through the partnership with broad civil society who have committed to undertake independent monitoring of NDDC projects to avoid waste and increase value for money’, the Rev Ugolor said.
‘ANEEJ believes that this partnership would help to sustain the gains from the past management of the NDDC management in terms of disclosure of income and detailed expenditure of the Commission. Recent disclosures of the inability of the NDDC to account for a significant portion of funds allocated it from 2007 to 2014 notwithstanding, the recent partnership brings together the operations of the NDDC with NEITI’s to promote greater transparency in management of resources made to the Commission in future’, the Rev Ugolor has said.
ANEEJ believes this partnership between the NDDC and NEITI will lead to accelerated development for the region, and provide a roadmap for rapid transformation. As an organization working with other civil society groups to promote transparency and accountability in governance in the Niger Delta Region, with established track record of teamwork with local, state and the Federal Government, ANEEJ expresses willingness to support NEITI-NDDC partnership.