By Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku
Abuja, Nigeria – The Africa Network for Environment & Economic Justice (ANEEJ), said on Wednesday that it has put plans in place to address reform and issues of transparency and accountability in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and six other oil & gas producing states. The six states are Abia, Delta Edo, Imo, Rivers and Ondo.
ANEEJ executive director, Rev David Ugolor, who said this at an inception meeting for stakeholders in Abuja, Nigeria said that the project will support oversight and implementation currently before the National Assembly.
According to him, it will also support oversight and implementation of Nigeria’s international anti-corruption/asset recovery commitments, oil and gas producing areas development (PADECS) amongst others. Working with cluster organizations, the project will also advocate for the mainstreaming of anti-corruption issues in Nigeria’s upcoming 2023 general elections, he added.
“I will like to use this opportunity to call on all presidential and gubernatorial aspirants for the upcoming 2023 general elections to tell Nigerians how they plan to tackle corruption, ensure transparency and accountability in governance if they win the election; we also call on political parties to tell Nigerians their party’s plan towards anti-corruption reforms as they go round the country seeking support of Nigerians,” Ugolor said.
A presentation by Sandra Eguagie, monitoring & Evaluation officer of ANEEJ revealed that the project has a component that will encourage candidates seeking to run as presidential candidates declare their assets.
“Since the President has signed the Electoral Act 2022 into law, it will be good if ANEEJ would consider including issues related to vote-buying, vote-selling and matters related to participation of people associated with disabilities in the election process, into this project,” a participant from the Civil Empowerment & Rule of Law Initiative (CERLSI) said.
The ANEEJ project, under the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement, SCALE, is a 5-year project being implemented by Palladium, and its resource partners with funds from USAID.
Cluster organizations involved in the SCALE include: 21st Century Community Empowerment for Youth and Women Initiative (Abuja), Community Empowerment and Development Initiative (Delta), Community Heritage Watch for Development Initiative (Imo), Foundation for Environment Rights Advocacy and Development (Abia), Gender Development Action (Rivers), Joint Association of Persons with Disabilities (Edo) and the New Apostolic Church Centre for Development. (Benin City).
