WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AFRICAN CENTRE FOR LEADERSHIP, STRATEGY & DEVELOPMENT (CENTRE LSD), DR. OTIVE IGBUZOR AT THE WORKSHOP ON TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE OIL AND GAS SECTOR IN NIGERIA ON 4th SEPTEMBER, 2013 AT BENIZIA HOTEL, ASABA, DELTA STATE. Protocols It gives me a great pleasure to welcome you to this workshop on transparency and accountability in the Oil and Gas Sector in Nigeria. Please permit me to share with you the vision of our organization and some perspectives on our project on Transparency and Accountability in the Oil and Gas Sector in Nigeria. The African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation established under Nigerian laws to build strategic leadership for sustainable development in Africa. The vision of Centre LSD is an African society with strategic leadership and sustainable development. The Centre’s mission is to work with forces of positive change to empower citizens to transform society. The centre is guided by the values of transparency and accountability; integrity; transformative change; feminism; diversity; dignity of the human person and Pan-Africanism. The major focus of work is in the giant of Africa –Nigeria but the centre aspires to work across Africa with a Pan-African perspective with partners in all the sub-regions in Africa. The Centres’ strategy, programme and actions focuses on Africa with the operations being run from Nigeria partnering with organisations across Africa. We all know that Nigeria has enormous human and material resources. But the level of poverty is very high. There is poverty in the midst of plenty in Nigeria. Several studies have revealed that the major problem is resource governance. Pricing of petroleum products has been a huge challenge over the past three decades. Meanwhile, citizens have little understanding of pricing of petroleum products and operations of the oil and gas sector. This is compounded by the fact that civil society organizations have not been involved in evidence based advocacy and campaigns on transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector. Meanwhile, reports of audit of the oil and gas sector by NEITI show corruption, lack of capacity, impunity and lack of transparency and accountability in the management of oil and gas resources in the country. It is against this background that the Centre conceived this project to strengthen citizens’ voice for accountability and reforms in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. The specific objectives of the project include among other things to monitor and advocate for the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill; monitor broad based groups to advocate for implementation of the recommendations of the subsidy report and other reports on the petroleum subsidy; undertake research into petroleum product pricing in Nigeria and engage major agencies in the oil and gas sector, parliament and international actors to canvass for reform of the sector. This workshop on Transparency and Accountability in the Oil and Gas Sector is one of the activities to achieve the objectives of the project. First and foremost, we will examine the operation of the oil and gas sector. The operation of the oil and gas sector is very opaque and many CSOs and advocates for change are ignorant of the operations of the sector. We hope that our discussions will provide some insight that can help our advocacy. Secondly, it has been shown that the benefits of the oil and gas sector accrues to only a few people and excludes the majority of the poor and vulnerable. In particular, it excludes women. Meanwhile, it has been proven that any country that wants to develop must not only involve women but must implement gender sensitive policies and programmes. Another major challenge in Nigeria today is oil theft. Oil theft has decreased earnings to government such that implementation of the budget is being threatened and there is the possibility of depleting our external reserve. Finally, the Petroleum Industry Bill is before the National Assembly. The objective of the PIB is to create a conducive environment for petroleum operations in a way that will beneficial to Nigerians. The move to reform the oil and gas sector which culminated in the PIB dates back to 24th April, 2000 when the Oil and Gas sector Reform implementation committee (OGIC) was set up. The committee established that the regulatory and institutional structures in the sector are incongruous with contemporary global oil business. It is important that the Bill is not only passed into law but in a form that will promote transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector and will be beneficial to the citizens of Nigeria. Let me use this opportunity to appeal to members of the National Assembly to avoid politics and look at the PIB and pass a bill that will be beneficial to the country. The Centre will like to appreciate all participants from different parts of the Niger Delta for participation in this workshop. We hope that this will create another momentum for transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector. This welcome address cannot end without appreciation of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) for supporting this project. We are particularly grateful to Mr. Joseph Amenaghawon for his personal commitment and support. Once more, on behalf of management and staff of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), I welcome you all to this workshop. I wish you all successful deliberations. Dr. Otive Igbuzor 4th September, 2013
Posted on: Sun, 08 Sep 2013 18:57:06 +0000
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