Ogoniland Clean Up: Reps, Others Back Buhari’s Plan

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr Ipalibo Banigo (right), being decorated as Patron by the President, Market Women and Men Association of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter, Mrs Charity Abonyo (left), while the state Secretary, Mrs Helen Iyalla watches, during their courtesy visit to Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday.

The House of Representatives, yesterday, declared support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to begin the process of implementing the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Report on the clean-up of Ogoniland in Rivers State.
The House noted that the report, which detailed the “environmental degradation” of Ogoniland, was released four years ago.
However, it added that by setting up a board to commence the process of implementing the report, Buhari had given the first signs of the seriousness of the Federal Government to address the problem.
An amendment  to a motion on Ogoniland by Mr. James Faleke, read, “Mr. President should be commended for setting up a board to implement the report.
“This report has been there for four years, and for Mr. President to have started the process for the implementation yesterday (Wednesday) is commendable. “
The amendment was unanimously endorsed by lawmakers.
But, it was a member from Rivers State, Mr. Kingsley Chinda, and 59 others, who moved the original motion on the plight of the people of Ogoniland.
Chinda told the House that while the country’s oil resources were tapped from Ogoniland, the communities in the area were left with no means of livelihood.
Chinda also stated that other parts of the Niger Delta where oil exploration activities took place, did not fare better.
He called on the federal government to declare the region an “environmental disaster zone” to speed up the process of providing infrastructure for the people living in those communities.
“The situation in Ogoniland is so pathetic.
“Everywhere you turn, there is environmental degradation and the people are left to suffer. It is so bad,” Chinda added.
The President had on Wednesday taken several steps to fast track the implementation of the report, including the setting up of a trust fund to be managed by a board of trustees.
Stakeholders were also expected to contribute N2billion within the next 30 days to the fund.
Other stakeholders have commended the approval and directive by President Buhari to fast-track the long delayed implementation of the UNEP Report recommendations on the environmental restoration of Ogoniland.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) commended Buhari for fulfilling his electioneering promises to the Ogoni people.
The party,  in a statement on Wednesday, said the move by the Federal Government was a confirmation of the party’s earlier position that Buhari means well for the Niger Delta as a whole and Ogoniland in particular.
According to the statement, ’’It further gives credence to the saying that a good friend is by far better than a bad brother.
Also, the President of MOSOP, Logborsi Pyagbara and the President of Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority, Dr. Goodluck Diigbo, on behalf of the Ogonis, commended the Federal Government for the move to fast tract the implementation of the UNEP report and clean up the area.
Pyagbara, in a statement, said the move by the Federal Government was commendable and goes to show that the Ogonis are being remembered in the present administration while Diigbo appreciated the move but wants genuine Joint Stakeholders’ Review of the recommendations.
Diigbo while welcoming Buhari’s intention to fast-track the implementation of UNEP Report on Ogoniland, said his actions ignores the report’s technical demands.
According to him, “Even though the report remains disputed, many EIA measures investigated, and clarified in the report, are missing.”
He noted that Buhari received recommendations from “non-experts” – the Executive Director of UNEP, the UNEP Special Representative for Ogoniland, permanent secretaries of the Federal Ministries of Environment and Petroleum Resources, and others, regretting that: “The recommendations are secret, and reliance on non-experts was not only misguided, but, unacceptable.
“Buhari may have a good intention, but, his expressed intentions might deepen old wounds. For instance, Buhari avoided specific mention of recommendations by UNEP, including: Ogoniland Environmental Restoration Authority, Environmental Restoration Fund for Ogoniland, a Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, among others, and even, $1billion, considered grossly inadequate for take-off, is now missing.
“Next, we the Ogoni people are not aware of any Special UNEP Representative for Ogoniland. We don’t have one. Buhari’s intentions have created considerable confusion and resentment. Either, Buhari is conflicted, “tricked” by “parties” that corrupted the UNEP Report, or, just politics as usual. For three years, they’ve stood against genuine joint stakeholders’ technical review – a prerequisite for due process, stipulated by UNEP, World Bank, IMF, US and others,” he said.
The UNEP Report, says “the Nigerian government agencies concerned lack qualified technical experts and resources,” he stressed, adding, “So, I started to doubt if the Executive Director of UNEP could truly be part of what Buhari intends.”
Also speaking, a frontline Ogoni activist, Mr Celestine Akpobari, who also lauded the development, described it as a step forward, adding that former President Jonathan failed to take practical and appreciable step on the report all the while he was President.
He urged the Federal Government to allow civil society to be represented in the process of implementing the report.
He said that the development on the part of the Federal Government also took cognizance of livelihood and sustainability of Ogoni area, an issue the UNEP report according to him did not look at.
“This is a breakthrough. It is a major breakthrough for the Ogoni people. We want civil society to be given representative capacity. It has been a collective struggle of civil society and Ogoni people for the implementation of the report.”
Also speaking, An APC governorship candidate in the April 11 elections in Rivers, Dr Dakuku Peterside, has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval for the implementation of United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoni land as courageous.
Peterside in a statement issued yesterday in Port Harcourt by his media aide, Mr Sylvester Asoya, said the long awaited action would address all environmental issues and other challenges in Ogoni land.
“Once again, the President has demonstrated that he is a man of honour.
“ During his campaign, he promised our people that his government would look into the UNEP Report.
“Less than three months into his administration, the President has already taken a giant step in this regard. He is indeed a man of his words,” the statement said.
The statement said the people of Niger Delta knew that President Buhari could be trusted because of his antecedents and track records.