The Nigeria Senate queried the expenditure when the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya appeared before the Senator Matthew Urhoghide – led Senate Committee to  present the agency ‘s 2023 Budget.

Orji had while presenting the agency’s 2023 budget before the Committee, explained the 2022 budget performance, noting the Personnel Cost of the agency was N960 million while overhead cost stood at N760.9 million and the Capital budget was N344 million.

According to the NEITI’s Executive Secretary, 51 per cent of personnel cost had been spent while 58 per cent of overhead cost was  spent and only 50 per cent of capital has been released so far.

Dissatisfied with his explanations, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Urhoghide queried how the agency could spend only 51 per cent of his personnel cost as at November 2022, pointing out that it was the case of over bloated Personnel Cost in the agency.

Urhoghide said “you have only taken 51 per cent of your personnel cost at November, your personnel cost is really really too high,  you have only two months and  you have just collected 51 per cent of your personnel cost. This is one case of personnel budget over bloated; it is systemic leakage. We are going to reduce your personnel cost to less than N500 million.”

Responding, Orji explained that when the agency started operations, it was only on Oil and Gas, but  the agency has moved into Solid Minerals and needed  more manpower to carry out its operations.

He stated that the agency currently has 43 staff but had approved the recruitment of more staff as this was made available in the 2022 budget and the process had just been concluded.

Furthermore, more he stated that the newly recruited 70 staff were  already captured by IPPIS and have not been paid. Consequently, Senator Ibrahim Danbaba directed him to submit the nominal role of the agency to ascertain his he told the committee.