The President of the Supreme Council of  Traditional Rulers of Ogoni and former Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM King Godwin Giniwa has attributed the slow pace in the clean-up of Ogoniland by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to inadequate funding, among other challenges.
Giniwa, who made the disclosure while addressing members of the House of Representatives Committee on Environment during a solidarity visit at his palace in Koro Koro Tai said inadequate funding of the project by the Federal Government was  apparently responsible for the slow pace of the implementation process.
He also identified lack of office space for HYPREP as another challenge ostensibly militating against its effective operations, as it is currently squatting in the office of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) in Port Harcourt.
The monarch equally hinted that lack of  livelihood for the Ogoni people  due to the pollution of their environment, high level unemployment and  reguisite skilled manpower, high level of insecurity and lack of basic amenities like access to potable water, healthcare and electricity were some of the challenges HYPREP had to contend with in the course of discharging its core mandate, and appealed to President Buhari to urgently address these challenges, “as my people, the Ogonis have shown and will continue to show considerable cooperation and enthusiasm towards the implementation of the project”. Giniwa, who was represented by the Gbene Mene Tua Tua and Paramount Ruler of Kpite Community, HRH Mene Samuel Nnee thanked President Buhari for fulfilling his promise to the Ogoni people.
“We recall that on Jnauary 10, 2015, the President visited Ogoniland in the course of his electioneering campaign, where he promised that on assumption of office as President, he will begin the process of the implementation of the UNEP Report. We are happy we kept faith, as less than 100 days into this government, the President directed several fast-track actions to kick start the process of the implementation as promised”, he said.
He also commended the President for appointing notable Ogoni sons into the implementation process, especially the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Dr. Marvin Dekil, “whom we trust will deliver, given his enormous capabilities”.
In view of the progress made by this administration, Giniwa said, “we are confident that this clean up exercise is a reality and on course.
It is our hope that this process will create several  opportunities that will not only boost the local economy of  Ogoni but will also make Ogoni a hub for high level manpower in the area of remediation and soil technology”.

 Donatus Ebi