CISLAC/TI-Nigeria Reiterate Calls On FG To Prosecute All Those Involved In P&ID
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International Nigeria (TI-Nigeria) once again calls on President Bola Tinubu and anti-corruption agencies to prosecute all Nigerians and their accomplices, including former senior officials, who were involved in colluding with P&ID for personal gain.
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International Nigeria (TI-Nigeria) which made call following the recent seizure of three Nigerian presidential jets by a French court, owing to a contract dispute between the Ogun State Government and the Chinese firm Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd equally asked State governors to prioritise due diligence and legal consultations in contract negotiations to prevent severe repercussions from mismanagement.
A statement signed by the Executive Director, CISLAC/TI-Nigeria, Auwal Rafsanjani, was full of concerns on the escalating legal battle, which stems from a 2007 agreement for the development of the Ogun Free Trade Zone.
Rafsanjani emphasised that the fallout from the poorly managed contract has resulted in significant financial losses and tarnished Nigeria’s international reputation.
He said state governors and government officials must fully understand the legal and ethical complexities of international agreements before entering into them.
According to Rafsanjani, Nigeria is already grappling with numerous socio-economic challenges, and should not be entangled in costly legal disputes that could have been avoided with proper due diligence.
The Executive Director criticised the federal government for allowing state governors to access loans without adequately addressing potential risks pointing out that personal interests often lead public officials into problematic agreements, such as the notorious P&ID case.
Rafsanjani noted that CISLAC and Transparency International have diligently monitored and advocated for global transparency and accountability, particularly since the initial arbitration order in the P&ID case in 2017, which mandated Nigeria to pay $6.6 billion in fines due to contractual breaches of which the amount ballooned to $11 billion due to accrued interest.
He stressed that during the legal battle in London to overturn this order, CISLAC and Transparency International collaborated with local and international organizations to demand a comprehensive investigation into all individuals implicated in sabotaging Nigeria’s interests saying that the prior administration’s failure to act on the calls was disheartening.
The Executive Director opined that CISLAC/TI-Nigeria’s statement reflects broader concerns about Nigeria’s management of international agreements and the severe consequences of neglecting due diligence hence the dire need for vigilance and ethical governance in contract negotiations.
