Stakeholders urge Media, Civil Organisations to help in the fight against corruption

Fri, Dec 14, 2018 | By publisher


Oil & Gas

Stakeholders at the two-day Media Workshop on Corruption as Fuel for conflict in Oil and Gas sector appeal for media and civil society organisations’ cooperation in tackling corruption in the sector

By Anayo Ezugwu

African Initiative for Transparency, Accountability and Responsible Leadership, AfriTAL, has called on the media and the civil society of organisations, CSOs, to help in fighting corruption and conflict in the oil and gas industry. Louis Brown Ogbeifun, the founder and president, AfrTAL, said corruption and conflict have led to divestments from the oil and gas host communities and abandoned projects.

Speaking at a two-day Media Workshop on Corruption as Fuel for Conflict in Lagos, said unabated corruption has set the people against the government in most oil and gas host communities. “If these continue, our economy and social development programmes would continue to suffer. Nigeria has enormous hydrocarbon potentials but paradoxically has been unable to properly harness its gas benefits as a money-spinner domestically,” he said.

Ogbeifun said corruption is one of the reasons why government has failed to turn the oil and gas industry around for the good of the people. He noted that corruption stimulates conflicts for selfish and rent seeking reasons in oil and gas industry and host communities.

“Corruption and bad leadership have been the bane of Africa’s development. Our focus therefore, is to partner with social development partners in government, non-governmental organisations, private sectors in the advocacy for good governance. To fight against corruption and reverse the penchant for looting the treasuries by leaders entrusted with the peoples’ commonwealth at the local, state and national levels.

“If possible eliminate corruption generated conflicts and individual rent seeking adventures by conflict entrepreneurs. It is in this light that AfriTAL encourages anti corruption activities through disciplined advocacy methods in order to restore good governance for the good of mankind.”

In his opening remarks, Michael Uzoigwe, the representative of the Facility for Oil Sector Transparency and Reform in Nigeria, FOSTER, said the agency interventions are having a significant impact in promoting reform and transparency in the management of Nigeria’s natural resources. He said FOSTER initiatives will continue to adapt and respond to the dynamic external context in Nigeria.

“This will build on FOSTER’s early achievements to support the move towards an oil sector that is more transparent, accountable and efficient. More broadly, FOSTER has provided valuable insights and lessons to help create a better understanding of how the international community can engage in efforts to promote reform in the extractive industries sector in challenging contexts,” he said.

On his part, Zibima Tubodenyefa, oil and gas consultant, who unveiled the Macro Conflict Risk Impact Assessment, M-CRIA Tool, said it is the only way to reduce corruption and conflict in the sector. He said the tool would enhance the capacities of the civil society organisations to interrogate, investigate and develop strategies to mitigate the effects of corruption stimulated conflicts.

“Conflict analysis helps us to closely examine conflict in order to understand its causes, identify the actors and trend.  To understand the historical and structural antecedents as well as current events, and learn from past experiences and establish a basis upon which strategies can be developed and interventions planned,” he said.

– Dec. 14, 2018 @ 18:09 GMT |

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