Group Accuses Nigeria’s SGF of  Illegality in Appointment of NEITI Board

 
 
Mary Nnah
 
 
A coalition of 24 civil society groups across the country under the platform Public Eye on NEITI (PEN) has accused the Secretary to Government of Nigeria (SGF), Senator George Akume, of what they described as ”unpardonable illegality in the recent appointment of the board of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).”

In a statement signed by the Interim Convener of the PEN, Prince Ebiowei Douglas, the group frowned at a publication credited to the office of the SGF announcing the constitution of the governing board of the NEITI.

The group insisted that the announcement violated two important sections of the NEITI Act 2007.

According to them, the board re-appointed the current Executive Secretary, Mr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, who is supposed to finish his only term.
“This violates the one tenure non-renewable term stipulated by Section 6(3) of the Act,” the group stated.
 
”Furthermore, in a show of desperation, the appointment of the Executive Secretary was announced, rather than allowing the board to nominate one in line with Section 12(4) of the law,” the group added.

The coalition called on the SGF to retract the announcement immediately or face litigations and a mass boycott of NEITI activities by organised civil society nationwide.

The group further noted with concern several petitions circulating in the media on ”the fraudulent running of the NEITI Secretariat by Mr. Orji through abuse of office, mismanagement of funds and embarking on fake foreign trips to concocted United Nations meetings in New York.”

The group further noted that ”the tenure of Mr. Orji has brought undue embarrassment and shame to the country, especially among international partners, which puts Nigeria at risk of being kicked out of the global initiative.”