The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the management of oil spill clean-up funds in the Niger Delta has pledged its commitment to justice, transparency, and accountability in the conduct of its assignment.
The committee’s chairman, Okpolupm Etteh, made the pledge on Thursday during an investigative hearing at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the committee—recently inaugurated by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas—was mandated to probe the utilisation of funds allocated for environmental remediation, review the actual execution of clean-up projects, and identify deficiencies in the institutional framework guiding the exercise.
The Etteh-led committee is also expected to interface with relevant stakeholders, including host communities, oil companies, and civil society groups, before coming up with recommendations on how best to address the environmental damage that years of oil exploration have inflicted on the Niger Delta.
Speaking at the hearing, Etteh said the probe was designed to uncover the truth about how funds allocated for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project and other related interventions were managed.
‘The House has mandated this committee to investigate the management of oil spill clean-up funds. Our goal is clear—to uncover the truth’, he said.
‘We will scrutinise project implementation, procurement processes, training programmes, intelligence coordination, and the actual delivery of remediation and restitution to Niger Delta communities’.
Etteh explained that the investigation would also assess the performance of regulatory agencies, transparency in contract awards, and the progress of remediation projects funded by the Federal Government and its partners.
‘When monitoring and verification reveal gaps, delays, or irregularities, the committee will not hesitate to identify those responsible and recommend corrective measures. This is about ensuring that funds meant for environmental recovery are used effectively for the people who have suffered the most’, he added.
He further assured that all committee proceedings would be properly recorded for accountability purposes, and that witnesses appearing before the panel must present factual testimonies, authentic documents, and verifiable evidence of work done.
Etteh also urged government agencies involved in the clean-up to cooperate fully by providing relevant information to aid the committee’s work.
‘These agencies include the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, the Federal Ministry of Finance, and other related entities’, he said.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, reiterated the commitment of the legislature to ensuring that the people of the Niger Delta receive justice and that funds allocated for their benefit are properly utilised.
‘Our parliament conducts legislative activities to ensure that public funds are not only spent, but are spent efficiently for the good of all’, Abbas stated.
‘This investigation will help us determine who manages these funds, how they are applied, which communities benefit, and whether transparency and accountability were maintained throughout the process’.
Represented by the Chief Whip, Usman Kumo, the Speaker urged all concerned agencies to honour invitations by the committee and present the necessary evidence and documentation.
‘We appeal to the agencies concerned to appear before this committee with the necessary information that will enable it to make fair, balanced, and just recommendations. The House will continue to provide legislative oversight to ensure that the goals of the oil spill clean-up are achieved in a transparent and impactful manner’, Kumo said.
Meanwhile, a director with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Emmanuel Mac Jaja, expressed opposition to the proposed establishment of a National Commission for the Decommissioning of Oil and Gas Installations.
According to Jaja, the plan was ‘unnecessary, duplicative, and contrary to international best practices’, warning that such a body could discourage investment in the oil and gas sector.
He added, ‘The Petroleum Industry Act 2021 already empowers the NUPRC and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to manage decommissioning activities in their respective sectors, and these responsibilities are currently being discharged competently’.
