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Mitee, FG Disagree On Ogoni Clean-Up
A former president of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Barrister Ledum Mitee, and some members of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Programme (HYPREP) have sharply disagreed on whether or not the clean-up process of oil polluted sites has actually commenced in Ogoniland.
While Mitee criticised what he described as “political hype” surrounding the clean-up of hydrocarbon polluted sites in Ogoniland in compliance with the recommendations of the 2011 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report, HYPREP officials said the clean-up process was effectively ongoing.
Mitee, in an exclusive interview with The Tide, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, said the reality on ground does not show that there is any clean-up work going on in Ogoniland, adding that there was so much hype such that it has created a gap between what is reported and what the people of Ogoni know about the clean-up process.
His words: “If you were to go to the streets of maybe, Bodo, K-Dere, or any of those communities very much affected by oil pollution, and ask the people what they know about the implementation of the report, and their expectations, they will simply tell you that they don’t know if anything is happening, yet.
“It seems to me that there is too much political hype on this issue of implementation. This has created a gap between what they read in the newspapers and what the people even think is going on. I, therefore, feel that when the Federal Government is ready, and seriously activates the process, the people will feel the impact, and the media does not need anyone to tell them that work has actually started,” Mitee said.
The former president MOSOP also said the issue of insecurity in Ogoniland was not an excuse for the non-commencement of the clean-up process in Ogoniland.
According to him, “Where is there no violence? Is there any where that there is no violence? If you hear that there was an orchestrated shooting in the Presidential Villa, so, does that stop the Presidency from functioning? I don’t think perceived violence in Ogoniland is an excuse for the slow implementation of the UNEP report recommendations.
“It is the duty of security agencies and law enforcement officers to maintain law and order in accordance with the provisions of Section 14 of the Constitution, to wit: ‘The primary purpose of government is the welfare and security of the people’; so, if they cannot achieve this, then there is no need for us to have a government.”
However, the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Programme (HYPREP), Dr Marvin Deekii, has dismissed claims that the Federal Government has not started clean-up work on the oil polluted sites in Ogoniland.
Deekii, while speaking with The Tide in an interview in Port Harcourt, said the setting up of the Governing Council and the Board of Trustees and inauguration of same for the clean-up of Ogoniland by the Federal Government means that work has commenced.
Also speaking, a member of the BoTs of HYPREP, Dr Peter Mayday, disagreed with Mitee’s insinuation that the Federal Government has not commenced clean-up of Ogoni oil spill impacted sites.
Mayday admitted that though, the process of the UNEP clean-up is slow, but the Federal Government was certain to deliver on the mandate based on the UNEP recommendation.
His words: “Yes, the process is slow, we agree, and the reason is that we are trying to do everything we can to make sure that we put the right structures in place to ensure sustainability and continuity of the process. We want a situation where the process will not be truncated by the exit of the present administration. So, the first thing we had to do to avoid this is the incorporation of the Ogoni Trust Fund as a legal entity.”
He explained that logistics and modalities for the Ogoni clean-up are on-going as companies are already carrying out soil test in Ogoniland.
According to him, “I can tell you that cleanup process is on to test the soul in order for them to know technology that they would use to do the cleanup in Ogoni, so this cleanup is already on-going, it is just that they are taking time to test those technologies to be used for the work, so if anybody tells you that the cleanup is not on the person does not love Ogoni.”
Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.