The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has advised the new leadership of the Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Nigeria to begin the process of reconciliation, repairing, rebuilding, and repositioning the organization to regain its lost allies, friends, and partners.
Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji gave the advice in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by the NEITI’s Assistant Director, Communications and Stakeholders’ Management, Mr Chris Ochonu to congratulate the leadership of the organsiation on its transparent electoral process that led to the election of NEITI Board member, Dr. Erisa Danladi Sarki, as the new National Coordinator of PWYP Nigeria.
Dr Orji advised that through constructive, issue-based engagement, PWYP can easily restore the vision of its founding fathers and reclaim its rightful position as a leading civil society organization (CSO) in the EITI process globally.
He reaffirmed the Board’s and Secretariat’s commitment to working closely with Dr. Sarki and the new leadership of PWYP in furthering shared goals of promoting transparency, accountability, and sustainable development in Nigeria’s extractive industries.
The NEITI boss commended both the international and local leaders of PWYP for identifying the leadership challenges the CSO faced, especially in the last five years, and for providing strategic solutions during the recently concluded Annual General Meeting (AGM).
NEITI received the news of Dr. Erisa Danladi Sarki’s election with excitement and enthusiasm.
The agency said, her election reaffirms PWYP’s confidence in her competence and leadership abilities, following her recent selection by the Civil Society Constituency to represent civil society on the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG) of NEITI.
“On behalf of the National Stakeholders Working Group – the NEITI Board – we congratulate Dr. Erisa Danladi Sarki and pledge our cooperation, partnership, and collaboration with the new leadership of PWYP Nigeria, to work together with mutual respect on the tasks ahead.
“The NEITI Board has a vested interest in the stability, cohesiveness, and active participation of PWYP in the NEITI process.
“PWYP’s historical role as a key civil society player in the transparency and accountability agenda is critical to the success of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in Nigeria. We are confident that with strong, honest, hardworking, and focused leadership, PWYP will continue to play a pivotal role in ensuring public engagement and oversight in the extractive industries”, the agency stated in the statement.
PWYP is the worldwide campaign for an open and accountable extractive industry. PWYP is a global movement working to ensure that revenues from oil, gas and mining are used to drive development.
With more than 1000 member organisations and 51 national coalitions, the organisation’s strength lies in its ability to coordinate action nationally and globally and maximise its collective impact so everyone benefits from natural resources.
