EFCC, EITI sign MoU to prosecute extractive industry criminals

The Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on joint cooperation to fight against corruption in Nigeria’s extractive sector.

The Chief Executive Officers of the anticorruption agencies, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji and Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa while signing the MoU on Wednesday in Abuja re-affirmed their commitment to partner and collaborate to prosecute criminals in the sector.

Under the MoU, signed by the two organisations, NEITI and the EFCC agreed to cooperate in the areas of information and data sharing, joint operations, prevention and remediation actions on governance, processes and corruption issues in Nigeria’s extractive sector.

Other areas of cooperation and partnership include regular capacity building and trainings, participation in fraud risk assessment efforts, Investigation, prosecution and management of information and compliance and enforcement of sanctions.

Other specific areas of cooperation are on issues emanating from NEITI audit reports with specific reference to financial misconduct. Both agencies also agreed that the modalities for the collaboration and partnership “Must be based on the implementation of the EITI principles and the NEITI processes and within the operational mandate of the EFCC”.

The Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji lauded the formalization of the partnership and cooperation.

The EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, assured NEITI of its commitment and support towards achieving the goals of the MoU.

“We have given you our teeth for us to bite together. Here at the EFCC, we have the Extractives Industry Fraud Section established to deal with issues in the extractive industry. We have strengthened efforts at the Airports to ensure that there is sanity in the way our minerals are accounted for”, Mr. Bawa stated.