The Senate Public Accounts Committee has issued a stern ultimatum to the Hydrocarbon Air pollution Remediation Mission (HYPREP), warning that repeated snubs of its invites will now not be tolerated.
Throughout a briefing on the Nationwide Meeting on Tuesday, the committee, chaired by Senator Aliyu Wadada, expressed frustration over the HYPREP Mission Coordinator’s refusal to seem and account for billions allotted to the Ogoni land cleanup.
Over seven invites since December 2023 have gone unanswered, with excuses starting from different engagements to conferences with the supervising minister.
“This blatant disregard for constitutional oversight is unacceptable. Public funds are concerned, and Nigerians deserve accountability,” Senator Wadada said.
The committee highlighted a number of unanswered questions on HYPREP’s monetary actions, together with the utilization of over ₦16.6b for undocumented contaminated websites in 2023, proof of tax remittances to the Federal Inland Income Service (FIRS) from 2022 to 2024, and progress reviews on deserted and ongoing cleanup websites in Ogoni land.
Regardless of HYPREP’s constant absence, the committee has prolonged a closing deadline of February 4, 2025, for the Mission Coordinator to seem and supply solutions.
“This isn’t nearly oversight; it’s about delivering justice and environmental restoration to the folks of Ogoni land. HYPREP can not proceed to evade accountability whereas sitting on crucial funds meant for this noble trigger,” Senator Wadada added.
The committee warned that failure to honour the invitation will immediate decisive legislative motion, together with issuing subpoenas and invoking sanctions to compel compliance.
“Our persistence will not be infinite. We owe it to the Nigerian folks to make sure transparency in the usage of public funds. It is a delicate decision, but when pushed additional, we are going to act decisively,” the chairman harassed.
Because the cleanup of Ogoni land stays a crucial environmental and developmental undertaking, the Senate reiterated its dedication to making sure the funds are correctly utilized and the undertaking delivers on its promise to revive the area.
