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IOCs Release $200m For Ogoni Clean-Up …As Ogoni Leaders Storm HYPREP’s Forum
International Oil Companies (IOCs) have released the first tranche of $200million out of the $1billion earmarked for the clean-up of Ogoniland in Rivers State.
Member of the Board of Trustees of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and President General of KAGOTE, Dr. Peter Medee, who made the disclosure while addressing the second stakeholders’ forum organised by HYPREP at Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, last Friday, said the money has been lodged into the account of the Ogoni Trust Fund.
According to him, the board has received fund from the IOCs led by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
“The Shell team in the board has worked with us very hard to ensure that all other IOCs and the NNPC deliver the fund as at when necessary. So, the first tranche of the fund has been received and l can tell you that the fund is already in the account of the Ogoni Trust Fund”, he said.
Medee also debunked claims that the initial $10million released for the take-off of the clean-up of Ogoniland was missing, saying, “no part of the fund is missing”.
According to him, the $5million component of the fund, which he said was in foreign currency, was still intact.
He noted that those who are peddling the false rumour that the fund was missing were actually sending wrong signals to donor agencies and other international partners, a situation, he said could hamper the effective clean-up process, and sued for patience and restraint.
He further disclosed that to ensure the security of the funds released for the clean-up project, the HYPREP’s board had opened an account with the Standard Chartered Bank of London, where such monies are lodged as they are released by the IOCs and the NNPC, among other stakeholders.
“The board had made several efforts to ensure that we get a credible hand that will receive the fund. That was also borne out of the fear that the banks in Nigeria all have N25billion as the extent to which they are insured. And because we are expecting the fund to come in five tranches of $200million, if you take the exchange rate differential of that, it means that we shall be expecting about N75billion each year. And the board was not sure of entrusting N75billion to a bank that has N25billion capitalisation”, he said.
This, he said was what informed the choice of Standard Chartered Bank of London which he noted has a stronger capitalisation base to secure the fund, adding that there was also the need to work with a bank which donor agencies all over the world could trust since the board’s mandate includes sourcing for funds beyond the $1billion earmarked for the project.
Medee also listed the benefits of incorporating the Ogoni Trust Fund by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
According to him, “with the trust fund in place, we are very sure that change of government, that is if the present Federal Government is no longer in place and there is a new leadership that is not interested in the clean-up, that will not affect the clean-up, because the Ogoni Trust Fund can now receive the fund and declare it without any interference from the Federal Government”.
He hinted that the trust fund has three Ogonis as signatories to its account, assuring that with a technical team in place, the board would also ensure that funds released to the coordinating office for the clean-up exercise would not be mismanaged.
The Minister of State for Environment, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Jibril in his welcome address equally, noted that measures have been put in place to ensure that funds released for the project are judiciously utilised.
The minister, who was representeAd by his Senior Technical Assistant, Dr. Ishiyaku Mohammed said the Federal Government was committed to the clean-up project, as it would ensure that funds for the exercise are not diverted.
Also speaking, member of HYPREP’s Governing Council and President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Mr. Legborsi Pyagbara assured that the Ogonis would continue to support the clean-up project and equally raise an alarm when necessary.
Pyagbara stressed the need for striking a balance between the clean-up of the devastated Ogoni environment and the provision of economic means of survival for the people.
On his part, another member of the Governing Council, Prof. Ben Nanee, harped on the need for peace in Ogoni communities as well as the restoration of the livelihoods of the people devastated by oil pollution, saying, “while cleaning up the environment, we also have to find a way of feeding the Ogoni people, putting food on the table of the Ogoni people”.
The conversation segment of the programme which featured HYPREP’s Project Coordinator, Dr. Marvin Dekil, and anchored by international journalist, Donu Kogbara provided a platform for the project coordinator to offer an insight into the activities of the agency since its inception, disclosing that remediation work proper in Ogoniland would commence at the end of September.
According to him, only qualified professionals would be used for the exercise. He hinted that a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) team would soon arrive the country to supervise the clean-up exercise.
Prominent Ogoni sons and daughters, including member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Barry Mpigi, Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Hon. Dumnamene Dekor, Hon. John Bazia, Hon. Felicia Taneh, Hon. Marcus Nle-Eji, Prof. B.B. Fakae, Mr Marvin Yorbana, Chief Gani Topba, among others, graced the event.
Donatus Ebi
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.
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