A civic organization called BudgIT has asked the Nigerian National Petroleum, NNPC to be more transparent and accountable to the taxpaying Nigerians as it’s deserving.
It also commended the move of the corporation to halt gas flaring in the Niger Delta regions which poses enormous threat to over 30 million people especially the poor in those communities as a result of gas burning by oil companies situated there.
A statement signed by BudgIT’s Communication Lead, Abiola Afolabi, stated that: “the plan of NNPC to reduce gas flaring would not come at a better time than this, as the menace is not only ravaging lives in the host communities but also costing the economy over $2.5bn annually and yet the economic implications of ending this practice should significantly improve Nigeria’s power generating capacity.”
“Gas flaring also has significant impacts on the life expectancy of the ‘working poor’ and ‘have-nots’ who struggle to live within these communities. BudgIT welcomes NNPC’s new three-point smart strategy aimed at ending gas flaring in Nigeria but encourages the corporation to release more information about the process, performance metrics, regulations and enabling laws that will aid in the fulfilment of this plan.
“It is therefore commendable that Dr Maikanti Baru, in his speech at the 50th Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), laid out a three-point smart strategy aimed at ending the practice,” it said.
“BudgIT is pleased with NNPC announcement to reduce gas flaring ahead of 2020 flare out deadline by the Department Petroleum Resources (DPR).”
Similarly, the co-founder of BudgIT, Oluseun Onigbinde reminded NNPC of the yet-to-be-published monthly report in 2018, which undermines the core values of openness and accountability even though he acknowledged the “lofty goal of ending gas burning” by the corporation.
He expressed belief that “the perennial issue of gas flaring can be contained if there’s a political will to implement the declared policies”.
“We urge the NNPC to release its monthly operational and financial reports to publish the reports for the first quarter of 2018 in line with its transparent, open and accountable practice”.
“Nigerians deserve an oil company that is transparent, accountable and open”, Onigbinde noted
BudgIT is a nongovernmental organization that applies technology to intersect citizen engagement with institutional improvement, to facilitate societal change.
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