Ogbonnaya Orji says the decision to replace him as the executive secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) did not follow due process.
On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu approved the redeployment
of Musa Adar to NEITI, replacing Orji, who had led the agency since February
2021.
Orji, whose tenure was set to
expire in three months, was removed while out of the country for an Extractive
Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) event.
In a statement on Wednesday, Orji said he had submitted a
voluntary notice of exit, which takes effect when his tenure ends on February
19, 2026.
“Before my departure, I formally notified the Secretary to
the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chair of the National Stakeholders
Working Group of NEITI, in writing, of my intention to exit office upon the
completion of my five-year single tenure,” he said.
Orji said the decision to name his successor should have
been “ordinarily made after the expiry of the notice period, in line with due
process and established transition protocols”.
He added that he had drawn the attention of the relevant
authorities to the “administrative oversight”, and expressed confidence that it
would be “addressed appropriately”.
HIS FULL STATEMENT BELOW
My attention has been drawn to a misleading report
circulating on social media suggesting that I was “sacked” by President Bola
Ahmed Tinubu. I wish to state clearly and unequivocally that this claim is
entirely false.
I am currently in Yerevan, Armenia, attending the 64th EITI
Board Meeting and other official engagements on behalf of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria. Before my departure, I formally notified the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chair of the National Stakeholders
Working Group of NEITI, in writing, of my intention to exit office upon the
completion of my five-year single tenure.
In that letter, I voluntarily issued the mandatory
three-month notice, as required of all public officers exiting service. My
tenure as Executive Secretary/CEO of NEITI officially ends on 19th February
2026. This statutory notification is a standard, transparent, and honourable
procedure I have followed throughout my more than three decades of dedicated
service in the Federal Public Service.
It is not—and has never been—a dismissal.
I was therefore surprised to see reports suggesting that a
successor had been appointed before the lawful expiration of my tenure. While
government has the unquestionable authority to appoint my successor, such
decisions are ordinarily made after the expiry of the notice period, in line
with due process and established transition protocols.
I have already drawn the attention of the relevant
authorities to this administrative oversight and I am confident that it is
being addressed appropriately.
For the avoidance of doubt: I was not sacked by President
Tinubu. I simply fulfilled my obligation by giving advance notice of the
expiration of my tenure and my voluntary intention to step down.
I have served this country honestly, diligently, and
professionally—without blemish—in several sensitive positions: as a national
broadcaster of repute, in the Senate, at the State House, across multiple MDAs,
and at the United Nations. My record of service at NEITI, with visible and
verifiable impact, speaks for itself. Throughout my tenure as Executive
Secretary, I received nothing but support and encouragement from President
Tinubu, not a sack.
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