A faction of the umbrella body of the Ogoni people, the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) has condemned, in strong terms, the purported appointment of some Ogoni politicians as representatives to sit on the Governing Council and the Board of Trustees of Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Programme (HYPREP).
Reacting to the development, MOSOP, therefore, called on the Minister of Environment and all those involved to undo the anti-Ogoni appointments.
The faction, in a statement signed by its President, Prince Biira, last Friday, in Port Harcourt, “warned that failure to heed advice, the organization we would have no choice than to utilize all non-violent options to ensure justice for our people”.
The statement claimed that the appointment was reportedly done by the Minister of Environment in connivance with a notable APC politician of Rivers extraction.
According to the statement, “Reports available to us indicate that they are proposed to be secretly inaugurated by Abuja to prevent protests, which may stall the inauguration. MOSOP has, thus, warned that it will do everything lawful to resist the attempt to deprive her of the right to nominate Ogoni representatives as empowered by the HYPREP governing instrument”.
Biira said, “The lack of transparency and openness in the handling of the matter is not only suspicious and provocative but also immoral and unhelpful to the smooth operations of HYPREP and the progress of the Ogoni clean-up project. Coming at a time when our people and lovers of clean and healthy environment have lost confidence in the management of the project, the approach is no less an invitation avoidable conflict that would halt the clean-up exercise, which appears to be the intent of the architects.
“The condemnable lack of progress in the execution of the project over four years of implementation has been heavily linked to unwholesome politicization of HYPREP. We have it on good authority that certain politicians are eyeing remitted and expected revenues for the Ogoni environmental recovery exercise to assure the actualization of their 2023 political ambitions hence the attempt to plant their surrogates on the apex structures of HYPREP.
“The Ogoni clean-up exercise is an entirely environmental matter and not political. Therefore, politics must be completely removed from the project for it to record success, which is presently absent. Thus, politicians must look past the funds of the Ogoni project in the pursuit of their political dreams or be embarrassed by our people.”
“The attempt to create artificial divisions in MOSOP to enhance their devious plan to seize and manipulate HYPREP to their advantage, and frustrate effective monitoring and fencing of the agency has been roundly defeated by the matured approach of the leaders of the organization. And MOSOP is unanimously determined to frustrate moves at milking the HYPREP dry.
“Recognizing that MOSOP is the organization mandated by the Ogoni people to speak and act on its behalf; acknowledging that MOSOP is an internationally acclaimed champion of environmental justices for the Ogoni people and other minorities in Nigeria and beyond and knowing also of the powers conferred on the movement by the HYPREP governing gazette, the Federal Government contacted MOSOP to, and it nominated the immediate past Ogoni members of the top organs of HYPREP. And we have evidence to this fact.
“Besides the afore-stated, taking Article 4 (2) (j) and Article 7 (1) (f) of the HYPREP governing gazette together, one would be left in no doubt as to which authority in Ogoni is empowered to make nominations to the apex structures of the special purpose agency.”

By: Susan Serekara-Nwikhana