Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, has emphasized the need for a robust and strong regulatory framework to tackle endemic corruption in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
ANEEJ’s Program Manager, Ighodi Edemhanria, made the call during a panel discussion on “Overview of Corruption in the Oil Sector,” at the 1st International Anti-Corruption and Climate Change Conference, organized by HEDA Resource Centre, to address corruption’s impact on the fight against climate change.
The panel explored the topic “Overview of Corruption in the Oil Sector: Focus on the Cases (OPL245, P&ID, Glencore) and its effect on the fight against Corruption.”
Edemhanria who acknowledged the regulatory framework in place, noted that corrupt officials continue to find loopholes, and recommended accelerated passage of the Whistleblower Protection Bill and strict implementation of the Witness Protection and Management Act 2022.
He commended the UK’s Serious Fraud Office for prosecuting former Glencore officials involved in corrupt payments in West Africa, and reiterated the need for Nigerian government to investigate and prosecute officials who collected bribes from Glencore, including those from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and NNPC Ltd.
Additionally, he called on the Attorney General of the Federation to publish details of the $50 million settlement agreement reached with Glencore.
“Despite the regulatory framework in place, corrupt officials are still finding their way, which underscored the need to strengthen the regulatory framework,” Edemhanria said.
ANEEJ recommended accelerating the passage of the Whistleblower Protection Bill and strict implementation of the Witness Protection and Management Act 2022; while commending the UK’s Serious Fraud Office for prosecuting former Glencore officials involved in corrupt payments in West Africa.
“The Nigerian government, through the Office of Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, should follow suit with the investigation and prosecution of all staff of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and NNPC Limited, retired or serving, who collected bribes from Glencore.”
Edemhanria further urged Nigeria’s Attorney General to publish details of the $50 million settlement agreement reached with Glencore.
The Glencore scandal involves the payment of over $100 million in bribes to government officials in several countries, including Nigeria, to secure oil trading contracts. Glencore had already pleaded guilty to foreign bribery and price manipulation and was fined £276.4 million by a UK court.
Glencore’s global bribery scheme, which spanned over a decade and affected seven countries, led to a $1.1 billion financial penalty; with Nigeria’s $50 million settlement being a significant step.
