By James Isaac, Abuja.
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by Senator Aliyu Wadada, has resolved to invoke relevant legal provisions to compel the National Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, to appear before it.
This decision followed repeated invitations extended to Prof. Zabbey to account for funds allocated for the cleanup of Ogoniland and other environmental interventions. HYPREP, an agency under the Federal Ministry of Environment, has reportedly failed to provide transparency regarding its expenditures.
According to the committee, seven invitations have been sent to Prof. Zabbey since 2022, yet he has failed to honor them. Lawmakers are particularly concerned about:
Total funds appropriated for the Ogoniland cleanup and other intervention projects.
Amounts received from the Federal Government.
Utilization of funds appropriated in the 2022 budget.
An additional ₦16 billion and ₦6.6 billion allocated in 2023 for undocumented contaminated sites.
Breakdown of the 2024 budget allocation and its implementation.
Evidence of remittances to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on VAT and withholding tax payments from 2022 to 2024.
General progress and current status of the Ogoniland cleanup project.
The Senate Committee has given Prof. Zabbey until February 4, 2025, to appear before it and provide clarifications. Failure to do so will result in the issuance of a warrant of arrest to compel his appearance.
