By Danlami Nmodu
Civil Society activists and Stakeholders in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative ,EITI have expressed deep worry over growing corruption despite the advances being made by NEITI.Much of these worries were voiced at on going 2-day international Conference with the theme, ‘Beyond Transparency:Oil and the Crisis of Democratic Governance in Nigeria and the Gulf of Gulf of Guinea’ which began in Abuja Tuesday.
At the conference organised by Social Action along with others, the ball was set rolling by Dr Isaac Osuka,director of Social Action who noted in his welcome address, “the advances that have been made with respect to NEITI in Nigeria (and elsewhere)may have done little in reducing corruption in the extractive sectors in particular and the polity generally”
He recalled that “in the past decade when transparency principles have been promoted by civil society organizations and states, we have witnessed some of the worst and most brazen looting of petroleum revenues,as may be exemplified by the petroleum subsidy scam in Nigeria,for example.The reports of NEITI and other bodies set up by government have exposed monumental infraction resulting in the dispossession of the public treasury.In the case of Nigeria,we also take note of the report of the United Nations Environmental Program which revealed that the impacts of oil pollution in Ogoniland(and other parts of the Niger Delta)are much worse than previously imagined.
Arguing further, Osuka said “After a decade of advocacy and campaigns ,examples of exposures do not seem to have translated into improvement in the accountability of government or reduction of inequalities or poverty for citizens and communities,at least in the short term…”
“What is evident is that transparency ,in whatever way we look at it ,cannot be an end in itself.There has to be the recognition that transparency is concomitant with democracy and national development goals.That is why the theme of this conference is Beyond Transparency”,he asserted.
But his remarks actually set the tone for the deliberations during first session of the conference on Tuesday.The keynote presentation by Professor Sarah Bracking titled “Beyond Transparency and toward modern regulation of the private sector” shed further light on the into the knotty issues.Bracking is of the University of Manchester,UK .
The session which was chaired by Professor Chidi Anselm Odinkalu,Chairman,Board of National Human Right Commission ,NHRC also had Professor Asisi Asobie,Nnimmo Bassey and Faith Nwadishi on the ‘high table’ providing interesting insights.Asobi a former NEITI boss recalled the ‘fight’ to chart a course in the face of opposition by some stakeholders.
Asobie also noted that there is the need to steer clear of neutrality because partisanship is key to success of the unfolding struggle.Non partisanship is unhelpful henceforth he said .Dr Kole Shettima one of the participants who spoke also reiterated the need for some kind of political roadmap to guide CSOs going forward.Nwadishi reiterated among others ,the need to strengthen partnership with the media.
Also ,quite exciting was the assertion by Odinkalu, as he reviewed the day’s event, that there are 6cs necessary for an understanding the oil sector namely:capability,communities,companies,contracts ,corruption and cases.
In deed, participants voiced opinions on how to entrench accountability beyond a regime of transparency transparency.The puzzle that seemed unsolved remains why corruption,poverty or inequality continues to escalate in spite of EITI efforts.The central question still remains, how can Nigeria reduce corruption and poverty?
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