The Senate Public Accounts Committee has queried the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative over N960 million personnel cost in the 2022 budget for 43 staff.
The Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, was queried as he appeared to present his 2023 Budget.
The presentation was done before the Public Accounts Panel.
While presenting the budget, Orji, who appeared for the first time before the committee, read the 2022 budget performance, saying the Personnel Cost of the agency is N960, while overhead cost is N760.9 million and the Capital budget is N344 million.
Explaining further, he said 51 per cent of personnel cost has been spent, with 58 per cent of overhead spent and only 50 per cent of capital released so far.
But the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Mathew Urhoghide, in his response wondered how the agency spent only 51 per cent of his personnel cost as at November 2022, saying this is the case of over-bloated personnel cost in the agency.
Urhoghide said: “You have only taken 51 per cent of your personnel cost at November.
“Your personnel cost is really really too high.
“You have only two months, you have just collected 51 per cent of your personnel cost.
“This is one case of personnel budget over bloated.
“What we are dealing with is that it is systemic leakage.
“We are going to reduce your personnel cost to less than N500 million.”
Responding, the Executive Secretary explained that when the agency started operations, it was only on Oil and Gas, but now it has moved into Solid Minerals and the agency needed more manpower to carry our its operations.
The agency currently had 43 staff, according to NIETI Executive Secretary.
Orji said the agency had approval to recruit more staff and this was made available in the 2022 budget and the process has just been concluded.
He added that the newly-recruited 70 staff are already captured by the IPPIS and not yet being paid.
However, Senator Ibrahim Danbaba asked the Executive Secretary of NEITI to submit the nominal role of the agency to ascertain what he told the lawmakers.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja, the agency further denied the media report that it hired staff without following due process.
Orji made this clarification at the induction training for its new staff.
He said: “We are disappointed that the authors of the story never bother to either check with NEITI to get our comments for fairness and balance.
“However, let me reassure all Nigerians, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and our global partners that NEITI is certainly aware and quite sensitive to our public ethics and commitments to EITI principles.”
He said the induction/training had been designed to introduce the staff to the world of transparency accountability in the management of oil, gas and mining sector through the instrumentalities of NEITI/EITI.
Orji said: “You are joining our organisation at a time the issues of poor governance, lack of transparency and accountability in the extractive industry are of national and global concerns, especially in Nigeria.
“This Induction programme is one of the crucial steps that we have taken to prepare you for the task ahead and integrate you into NEITI’s culture and principles of transparency, integrity and accountability.
“The key message here is that there is a gap in NEITI that you have been recruited to come and fill.”
Orji said to commence the recruitment, the National Stakeholders Working Group Human Resources Committee, which conducted the exercise, reviewed more than 2,000 Curriculum Vitae in NEITI Database from applicants under NEITI “Leave Application Behind” policy.
“This is a policy put in place by NEITI over the years to preserve and provide hope for applicants who seek a career in the organisation,” he said.
He said that the waiver granted to NEITI by Federal Character Commission was informed by huge volumes applications the agency received in the course of the recruitment exercise.
From this huge number of applications, according to him 166 candidates are shortlisted and invited for interviews.
He said that out of these numbers, 145 persons attended, 18 persons were absent and three were disqualified for integrity issues which included failure to show proof of National Youth Service Corps and differences in age declarations.
Orji said: “These were followed by candidates assessment, 23 candidates scored 75 per cent and above and made the national merit list, while 36 others that scored between 70 and 74 per cent fell within the general merit. 82 candidates met the minimum score of 65 per cent.
“Four candidates who made the minimum score of 65 per cent were considered strictly to address equity in federal character representation.”
He, however, said in the course of the recruitment, NEITI also took into consideration the issues of gender equity and diversity of Nigeria state.
In a keynote speech, Olusegun Adekunle, Chairman, NEITI NSWG, said upon inauguration in July 2021, it began a programme for the strengthening of the secretariat and spread of the agency to other geopolitical zones.
This, he said was because, the policy direction was required for the successful implementation of NEITI’s five-year Strategic Plan (2022-2026) developed and approved by its board to drive the the manpower growth plan developed by the secretariat.
Adekunle said: “The manpower plan specifically identified the urgency for NEITI to inject young graduates with the requisite manpower and creative skills to help drive the newly developed five-year growth and strategic plan.
“The Petroleum Industry Act has set new reform standards and NEITI as a member of the Presidential Steering Committee on PIA implementation is under obligations to respond adequately with adequate manpower and resources.”
Adekunle said the process that produced this class of 2022 had been rigorous, merit-based and in compliance with all laid down procedures of the Federal Government.
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