Abbas inaugurates panel to probe ‘mismanagement’ of Niger Delta oil spill clean-up funds

Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, has inaugurated an ad hoc committee to investigate the alleged mismanagement of oil spill clean-up funds in the Niger Delta region.

Speaking at the ceremony in Abuja on Friday, Tajudeen expressed confidence in the committee’s ability to deliver a fair, just and balanced report.

Represented by Bello Kumo, a lawmaker from Gombe, the speaker said a thorough investigation is necessary to help the house proffer lasting solutions to issues of oil spillage in the Niger Delta region.

“We must understand the causes of the mismanagement; we must understand what was involved in the entire funds dedicated for the clean-up,” he said.

“We have to find out the capacity of the managers that were put in place by the government to manage the funds for the clean-up.

“We have to understand if there was accountability in the whole process of the management of the clean-up funds. If we are able to understand these, then we can proffer a solution.”

Okpolupm Etteh, chairman of the committee and lawmaker representing Akwa Ibom, said the Niger Delta region had endured years of environmental degradation and untold damage caused by oil exploration and frequent spills.

Etteh said several government agencies were created or assigned the responsibility of conducting environmental remediation and clean-up operations in response to the crisis.

“Unfortunately, troubling reports of alleged mismanagement, inefficiency and poor coordination have overshadowed these initiatives,” he said.

“Similarly, this house has also received reports that funds allocated for clean-up efforts have not produced the anticipated outcomes, leaving communities still affected, livelihoods in jeopardy and public trust diminished.”

He said the committee had been assigned the critical task of uncovering the truth, evaluating the effectiveness of interventions and proposing reforms for sustainable solutions.

“Our objectives are clear,” he said.

“We will investigate the utilisation of funds designated for environmental remediation, review the actual execution of clean-up projects, identify deficiencies in the institutional framework and engage with all relevant stakeholders, including host communities, experts and civil society.

“Most importantly, we will recommend specific actions to enhance performance and rebuild public trust.”

Etteh said the committee is not out to witch-hunt but would not hesitate to ask tough questions to unravel the truth for posterity and uphold the integrity of its mission.

He pledged that the committee would operate transparently, seek broad consultations and conduct field visits to witness the situation firsthand.

He said relevant agencies would be held accountable, community perspectives would be valued, and conclusions would be based on factual evidence rather than emotions.

The lawmaker appealed for the cooperation of all stakeholders, government agencies, communities, civil society and the media to help the committee achieve its mandate.