PETITION & FORMAL OVERSIGHT REQUEST
THE MANY SIDES OF SYSTEMIC FAILURE AND CORRUPTION RISKS IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF HOST COMMUNITIES DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS (2022–2025)

A Civil Society Accountability Report & Demand for Immediate Transparency Review

 
We, the undersigned civil society representatives and community stakeholders, submit this joint petition and investigative report to formally request an urgent oversight review into the management, funding, and implementation of Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) projects executed between 2022 and 2025 under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) framework.

The ongoing pattern of opacity, inconsistent reporting, undisclosed contracts, and irregular financial practices has raised significant concerns about systemic failure, institutional non-compliance, and corruption risks within the current administration of host community development obligations. These concerns are not directed at any single individual but toward the institutional processes, structural weaknesses, and oversight lapses that have enabled widespread suspicion, waste, and downward accountability failure.

 
The PIA 2021 and the Host Communities Development Regulations of 2022 mandate sustainable prosperity for host communities through the allocation of 3% of Settlor operational expenditures. These funds are meant to deliver:

Human capital development
Infrastructure projects
Community welfare programs
Transparent contracting and procurement processes
Mandatory annual reporting
Independent auditing
Direct community participation
However, communities across multiple states continue to report lack of information, abandoned projects, opaque procurement, and zero visibility on how multi-billion-naira allocations were managed between 2022 and 2025.

 
AREAS OF SYSTEMIC CONCERN
1. Institutional Opacity
Despite statutory requirements, full documentation covering procurement, contractor selection, project approval, and fund disbursement has not been publicly disclosed. Lack of transparent reporting contradicts the PIA’s accountability standards.

2. Weak Oversight & Compliance Gaps
There is no evidence of consistent independent audits or community-inspected project validation, creating fertile ground for mismanagement and untracked expenditures.

3. Structural Corruption Risks
The absence of proper monitoring tools, community involvement, and digitized traceability mechanisms has produced recurring suspicion of inflated contracts, ghost projects, and unexplained financial activities.

4. Financial Irregularities in HCDT Operations
Multiple communities have raised questions regarding:

Missing contractor lists
Undisclosed procurement processes
Payments made without visible project execution
Uncompleted or substandard projects across project cycles
5. Misuse of Public Funds (General Systemic Concerns)
The 3% OPEX allocations released annually are public-interest funds. Inadequate documentation of utilization is functionally equivalent to misuse and undermines the development rights of host communities.

6. Community Exclusion
Across PIA host regions, communities consistently report:

Not being briefed on project details
Not participating in monitoring
Not receiving copies of spending records
Being denied access to HCDT minutes, project plans, and audit trails
 
OUR REQUEST FOR DOCUMENTS
Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (2011), we formally request the following records for all Host Community Development Projects executed from 2022 to 2025:

Public procurement documents
Contractor lists and awarded contracts
Financial statements and fund release schedules
Audit reports (internal & external)
Evidence of project execution (photos, videos, BOQs, site reports)
Records of community engagement meetings
Regulatory compliance reports submitted to the Commission
Monitoring & evaluation documentation
These documents are essential for the forensic audit our committee will undertake.

The FOI Act requires release within 7 days or 30 days, depending on statutory applicability.

 
FORMAL PETITION FOR OVERSIGHT INVESTIGATION
In line with our responsibility to the host communities, we hereby petition for:

A full compliance investigation into Host Community Development Trust operations from 2022–2025
A regulatory review of adherence to PIA guidelines
A public financial audit documenting every kobo of the 3% OPEX released
A Senate and House Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) inquiry session
The immediate publication of past project records on the NUPRC HostComply Portal
This petition is not a criminal accusation against any individual.
It is a demand for accountability, transparency, and institutional integrity.

 
COMMUNITY SIGNATURES & SUPPORT
To reinforce this request, over 100 legislators (Senate, House of Representatives, and State Assemblies) and 900 indigenes across multiple host communities—spanning:

Ibeno • Onna LGA (Ukpana, Akpabom, Ikot Abasi) • Ntak Inyang • Evwreni • Samagidi • Kokori • Ughelli • Udu • Uvwie • Oloibiri • Ondewari • Koluama 1 & 2 • Ezetu 1 & 2 • Foropa • Fishtown • Ekeni • Sangana • Oginibiri • Okumbiribeleu • Okunmbiri • Etche • Umuechem • Igwuruta • Mgbodo-Alu • Eneka

…and many more as recognized on the HostComply Portal
will endorse this demand for a transparent review.

 
CLOSING STATEMENT
This combined petition and civil society report is being submitted in the public interest.
A copy will be automatically forwarded to all relevant oversight offices for immediate action, including regulatory bodies, legislative committees, and statutory anti-corruption institutions.

We anticipate full cooperation in restoring transparency, accountability, and community trust in the administration of Host Community Development Funds.

 

WHERE THIS PETITION WILL BE SENT
Once signature thresholds are reached, Change.org will automatically deliver copies to:

Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC)
Host Communities Development Trust Boards
Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream)
House Committee on Host Communities
NEITI
ICPC & EFCC
State Governments of host regions
 
✊ FINAL CALL
When the regulator tasked with transparency becomes the gatekeeper of secrecy, public pressure becomes the only path to accountability.

Host communities deserve clarity.
Nigeria deserves transparency.
And the PIA cannot succeed without honest oversight.

👉 Sign this petition to demand that NUPRC opens the books and restores trust in Host Communities development funding.