By Mercy Aikoye
The House of Representatives has inaugurated an ad hoc committee to investigate the alleged mismanagement of oil spill clean-up funds in the Niger Delta. The committee’s establishment reflects the House’s commitment to environmental justice and responsible management of public resources.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Okpolupm Etteh, stated that the committee’s mandate includes uncovering the truth behind the use of clean-up funds and recommending reforms for sustainable remediation. “Today, I stand before you with a profound sense of duty and dedication to our nation,” he said.
Etteh lamented that despite several interventions and billions of naira allocated for clean-up efforts, the Niger Delta continues to suffer severe environmental damage and economic hardship. “The Niger Delta has faced years of environmental degradation and untold damage due to oil exploration and frequent spills,” he said.
The committee’s objectives are clear: to investigate the utilization of funds, review the execution of clean-up projects, and identify deficiencies in the institutional framework. Etteh assured that the probe would not be a witch-hunt but a sincere effort to restore accountability and deliver justice to the people of the Niger Delta.
“We will operate transparently, seek broad consultations, and conduct field visits to witness the situation firsthand,” Etteh said. “Agencies will be held accountable, community perspectives will be valued, and our conclusions will be based on factual evidence rather than emotions.”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, represented by the Chief Whip, Hon. Usman Kumo, charged the ad hoc committee to determine the managerial competence of those entrusted with the clean-up funds. “We have to find out the capacity of the managers that were put in place by the government to manage the funds of the clean-up,” he said.
Etteh emphasized that the committee’s ultimate goal is to “illuminate the truth and ensure that the Niger Delta receives the justice it rightfully deserves.” He pledged professionalism, patriotism. “It is high time we transformed words into action,” he said.
The committee seeks the cooperation of all stakeholders, government agencies, communities, civil society, and the media, to effectively achieve its mandate. Etteh assured that the committee would deliver a comprehensive, honest, and impactful report that would inform lasting solutions to the region’s environmental crisis.
