Ogoni Clean-Up: Stakeholders Harp On Peace, Confidence Building

Stakeholders in Ogoni land, Rivers State, have called for peace, security and confidence building among the people in the four local government areas that make up the ethnic nationality in order to achieve a successful environmental clean-up there.
The Tide reports that the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) had in 2011 recommended the clean up of crude oil impacted sites in Ogoni land.
The stakeholders, including the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Central Representative Advisory Committee (CRAC) and traditional rulers in the area made the call at a town hall meting organised by African Centre for Leadership Strategy and Development (Centre LSO), on the role of communities in the clean-up of Ogoni land.
Speaking, MOSOP’s Programme Officer, Roland Nwikwo, faulted the call for the dissolution of the structures and governing council of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
Nwikwo lauded the efforts of stakeholders, who are genuinely working for the success of the Ogoni Clean up and urged those involved in the project to show more commitment.
He said: “Mosop will continue to support and cooperate with efforts aimed at a successful implementation of the clean up”.
Speaking for CRAC, HRM King Suanu Baridam, promised that the group would interface with stakeholders in ensuring that necessary actions are taken for successful Ogoni clean up.
The Monarch said that the clean up in Ogoni is not a privilege, but the people’s right, adding that CRAC would ensure that stakeholders play their respective roles for the success of the projects and carry along communities and stakeholders.
Earlier in his address, Executive Director, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LCD), Mr. Monday Osasah, urged Ogoni people to see the clean up as a transformative moment and cooperate with the other stakeholders involved.
The release of the UNEP report in 2011 brought the different environmental challenge facing the Niger Delta, especially the need to clean Ogoni land to the fore.
The town hall meeting has become necessary to as matter of fact, remind community stakeholders of their roles to speed up access for spill response.
“Knowing that the clean-up of Ogoni land and indeed, the Niger Delta, is social justice. And knowing that for the clean up to succeed requires a multi-stakeholders approach.
“Ogoni people should, as a matter of fact, see the cleanup process as a transformative moment and cooperate with the other stakeholders, by discharging their roles and make their domain enabling for contractors and other interested parties that are working and many have one thing or the other to do at the designated sites,” Osasah stated.

Dennis Naku