President Goodluck Jonathan has tasked the  Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to do more to support efforts by the federal government to stop the exportation of stolen crude oil from Nigeria.

Speaking with the chairperson of EITI, Ms. Claire short, the president called on the agency to join the federal government in working to ensure that refineries that receive stolen crude oil from Nigeria are identified and punished.

President Jonathan, who observed that Africa was losing a lot through leakages in the mining and extractive industry, also urged EITI chairperson to help in ending the exploitation of Africans and African nations by multinational companies engaged in the extraction of the continent’s immense natural resources.

The President said that in keeping with the federal government’s commitment to giving the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) all necessary support and freedom to discharge its duties, he will inaugurate an expanded inter-ministerial committee next week to ensure greater synergy in NEITI’s investigations and facilitate the implementation of its recommendations for greater probity in Nigeria’s oil industry.

Commending NEITI’s efforts to discourage exploitation and corruption in extractive industries across the world, President Jonathan assured Ms. Short and her team that Nigeria will continue to strive for even greater openness and transparency in its oil and mining sectors.

Ms. Short briefed President Jonathan on EITI’s on-going efforts to ensure that oil and other mineral resources of countries are well managed and utilized for the benefit of their citizens.