Orji: I was replaced as NEITI ES in error — I’ve alerted SGF to the oversight

Ogbonnaya Orji says the decision to replace him as the executive secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) did not follow due process.

On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu approved the redeployment of Musa Adar to NEITI, replacing Orji, who had led the agency since February 2021.

TheCable had reported that Orji, whose tenure was set to expire in three months, was removed while out of the country for an Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) event.

In a statement on Wednesday, Orji said he had submitted a voluntary notice of exit, which takes effect when his tenure ends on February 19, 2026.

“Before my departure, I formally notified the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chair of the National Stakeholders Working Group of NEITI, in writing, of my intention to exit office upon the completion of my five-year single tenure,” he said.

Orji said the decision to name his successor should have been “ordinarily made after the expiry of the notice period, in line with due process and established transition protocols”.

He added that he had drawn the attention of the relevant authorities to the “administrative oversight”, and expressed confidence that it would be “addressed appropriately”.

HIS FULL STATEMENT BELOW

My attention has been drawn to a misleading report circulating on social media suggesting that I was “sacked” by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I wish to state clearly and unequivocally that this claim is entirely false.

I am currently in Yerevan, Armenia, attending the 64th EITI Board Meeting and other official engagements on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Before my departure, I formally notified the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chair of the National Stakeholders Working Group of NEITI, in writing, of my intention to exit office upon the completion of my five-year single tenure.

In that letter, I voluntarily issued the mandatory three-month notice, as required of all public officers exiting service. My tenure as Executive Secretary/CEO of NEITI officially ends on 19th February 2026. This statutory notification is a standard, transparent, and honourable procedure I have followed throughout my more than three decades of dedicated service in the Federal Public Service.

It is not—and has never been—a dismissal.

I was therefore surprised to see reports suggesting that a successor had been appointed before the lawful expiration of my tenure. While government has the unquestionable authority to appoint my successor, such decisions are ordinarily made after the expiry of the notice period, in line with due process and established transition protocols.

I have already drawn the attention of the relevant authorities to this administrative oversight and I am confident that it is being addressed appropriately.

For the avoidance of doubt: I was not sacked by President Tinubu. I simply fulfilled my obligation by giving advance notice of the expiration of my tenure and my voluntary intention to step down.

I have served this country honestly, diligently, and professionally—without blemish—in several sensitive positions: as a national broadcaster of repute, in the Senate, at the State House, across multiple MDAs, and at the United Nations. My record of service at NEITI, with visible and verifiable impact, speaks for itself. Throughout my tenure as Executive Secretary, I received nothing but support and encouragement from President Tinubu, not a sack.