The Senate, through its Public Accounts Committee, has issued a stern warning to Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, the Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
He was also threatened with a warrant of arrest if he fails to appear before the committee on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.
This warning was issued Aliyu Wadada, the committee’s chairman, following Professor Zabbey’s repeated failure to respond to the committee’s summons, marking the seventh time he has failed to honor their invitation.
In November 2023, HYPREP disclosed that $360 million had been released for the cleanup of the polluted Ogoniland in the Niger Delta.
However, the Senate’s Public Accounts Committee has raised concerns about the project’s transparency and accountability.
Read also: Energy-starved Nigeria flares most gas in four years
Expressing frustration, Wadada said, “The Senate Public Accounts Committee, pursuant to its constitutional and legislative powers of ensuring value for money, anchored on the principles of transparency, efficiency, effectiveness, economy, and accountability, commenced an inquiry into the activities of HYPREP under the Federal Ministry of Environment as it pertains to the Ogoniland cleanup.”
He further lamented that despite several invitations, the project coordinator has persistently refused to appear, often sending last-minute requests for rescheduling. The committee is seeking explanations on critical issues.
he Senate Public Accounts Committee, pursuant to its constitutional and legislative powers of ensuring value for money, anchored on the good governance principles of transparency, efficiency, effectiveness, economy, and accountability, commenced an inquiry into the activities of hydrocarbon pollution remediation project under the Federal Ministry of Environment as it regards the Ogoniland cleanup.
“Concerned, whereas several invitations had been sent to HYPREP to appear and give explanations to issues arising from its submission on the status of its operations, the committee is concerned that the project coordinator has persistently, in the course of the last two years, and flagrantly refused to honour legislative invitations to account for its dealings by turning in very late requests for rescheduling of meetings, which he had refused to attend for 7th time today.
“These dealings or issues which the committee is seeking explanations, border on the following: Explain or give reasons why the project coordinator refused to honour the committee’s invitations.
Read also: Ogoni clean-up: HYPREP targets completion 2025
“Give explanations on appropriations for the project and other intervention funds.
” How much has been received from the federal government? Details of the utilization of appropriations in the 2022 budget. An additional sum of N6.6 billion in 2023 for some undocumented contaminated, abandoned sites. Details of the utilization of 2024 provisions.”
He added, “Provide evidence of remittance to the Federal Inland Revenue Service on value-added tax and withholding tax for the year 2022 to 2024. General and current state of the Ogoniland cleanup.
“However, in the spirit of liberality, the committee resolves to give up to the 4th of February, 2025 for the project coordinator to unfailingly appear before it, or risks activation of relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution to compel him for the required appearance.”
Read also: Ogoni clean up: HYPREP commissions first water project
Providing a timeline of the failed appearances, Senator Wadada stated that the invitations date back to December 18, 2023, and continued through January 15, 2024; January 28, 2024; February 28, 2024; March 5, 2024; May 22, 2024; and most recently, January 28, 2025.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
