Stop Further Release Of Funds To HYPREP, Group Tells SPDC

A Pan Ogoni youth organisation, under the auspices of Ogoni Youths Federation (OYF), has urged the Shell Petroleum Development Company, (SPDC) to stop release of funds meant for the implementation of the Ogoni clean-up project to the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in the 2020/2021 budget, until previous funds released are accounted for.
The body, in press statement signed by its National President, Comrade Legborsi Yaamabana, and made available to The Tide accused HYPREP of misappropriation of funds so far released for the Ogoni environmental clean up project, amounting to about $187m.
The statement which read in part, stated that: “after the release of the initial $10m by Shell, there were cases of misappropriation and diversion which prompted Ogoni youths, through the OYF to institute a legal action against the Federal Ministry of Environment and HYPREP to account for the funds.”
The group which regretted the manner by which the implementation of the Ogoni clean-up project was being executed, alleged that there was a “deliberate compromise of the emergency measures such as the provision of portable water for the Ogoni people, including the engagement of genuine stakeholders and proper representation of people at the grassroots, as well as creation of jobs for the displaced youths of Ogoni.”
The group also condemned what it described as,  “a spree of clean -up contract awards to firms of doubtful profiles and pedigrees in manner that appeared like political patronage,” and called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to commence a forensic investigation of financial expenditure on the Ogoni clean-up project.
The  group declared that “the extreme politicisation of contract awards resulting in the exclusion of competent indigenous contractors from Ogoni is as insensitive as it is unacceptable.”

By: Taneh Beemene