The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has called on the people of Ogoni to desist from activities capable of jeopardising the ongoing remediation of polluted sites in Ogoniland.
The Information Officer of HYPREP, Mr. Kpoobari Nafo, said this during an inspection of remediation sites and water supply projects by members of Oil Watch International.
Nafo stressed that the ongoing activities in the various remediation sites and water supply schemes in Eleme, Tai, Gokana, and Khana Local government areas, were indications that the Federal Government was sincere on the project.
He also advised companies in the oil sector operating in Nigeria and beyond to always maintain international best practices and ensure swift response to oil spills, to avoid unnecessary pollution of land.
“We have taken some non-governmental organisations from across Africa to our remediation sites. And they are very much satisfied with what they have seen.
“Re-pollution, this is also the issue that we have been talking about and we have been sensitising the communities, making them understand that the environment is theirs.
“So, re-polluting the environment is to their detriment. Although they have been giving us corporations and most of the communities have ensured that those who come to re-pollute their areas are no longer finding it as business as usual. We are making headway in terms of sensitisation so that people do not go back to resolute where we have worked.”
Also, leader of the OilWatch delegation, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, had confirmed that remediation activities in Ogoniland were ongoing, while urging HYPREP to expedite action in remediating the complex sites.
Bassey also expressed excitement over the take-off of the water projects.
“Though it should have been one of the first things for HYPREP to have done as an emergency measure, nevertheless we are happy that it is ongoing right now.
“We are also expecting HYPREP to start tackling the complex sites. Unfortunately, even if you clean up the entire Niger Delta in five years, it will take about three lifetimes to have the environment restored back to normal.”
Bassey said even though Goi community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, was not mentioned in the report of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) on the clean-up of the Ogoni environment, there was the need for the Federal Government to come to the rescue of the community.
It would be recalled that the entire people of Goi community fled their homes in 2004 following the pollution of their environment and frequent fire outbreak due to oil spills on the community river.
Speaking with newsmen at Goi shortly after leading Oilwatch members from several African countries to visit some oil spill sites in Ogoniland, Bassey, said members of the community were living as refugees in other communities in the state.
Bassey said the Goi community has been neglected.
“It has been neglected; the UNEP report didn’t mention Goi at all. You can’t hear Goi appearing in the question of cleaning this territory. This is the prime place where all these could have started.
“Goi people are living as refugees because you can’t see buildings here. Buildings here were destroyed by fire, pollution and neglect. You can’t stay here for two hours and remain healthy because the hydrocarbon is very thick in the air we are breathing.
“The Goi community needs attention and the government should not wait any further before adding this. Whether UNEP mentioned it or not, the government cannot shut its eye to this community.”
However, more than 22 million litres of crude oil were recovered from the spill site in Bodo community in GokanaLocal Government Area of Rivers State between 2017 and 2019 as part of ongoing clean-up of the environment.
The clean-up of Bodo oil spill, which occurred in 2008 and 2009, is being carried out by multinational oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) while the Hydrocarbon Protection and Remediation Project (HYPREP) is handling the other spill sites in Ogoniland.
The Project Manager of one of the contractors handling the clean-up exercise, Giolee Environmental Services, Dr Evidence Enoch, disclosed this while speaking with journalists at Patrick Tekuru Waterside, Bodo.
Enoch stated that while 20million litres of crude oil were recovered during the “Boom and Recovery” stage of the clean-up in 2017, over two million litres were recovered during the second stage of the exercise.
He said, “We started this exercise in 2017, and we recovered crude, debris and sand under the Boom and Recovery stage. We recovered up to 20million litres.
“In 2019, under the second stage of the clean-up, we recovered over two million litres of crude oil. This crude was recycled and was re-injected into the system. It was sold as normal crude.”
Similarly, the Ogoni struggle has gained the attention of an international non-governmental organisation based in Turkey, with sympathy to train youths in the area on skills acquisition with specifics on agriculture and other food-based nutrients.
This was disclosed in Abuja by the Senior Adviser to the President of the International Conference of Agriculture and Food (ICAF), Turkey, IdilSaguner, in a brief ceremony organised by its Nigeria’s partner, the Ogoni Liberation Initiative (OLI).
Speaking with Journalists, Saguner said the ICAF was happy to train as many youths in Ogoni land as well as youths from the Niger Delta region, adding that the gesture will help to positively engage youths from the region and end youth restiveness.
Saguner said: “We have studied the Ogoni people with kin interest and it is time for us to contribute our own quota to the development of these youths in other to end youth unemployment in the region”.
On his part, the President of Ogoni Liberation Initiative (OLI), Dr.Fabeke Douglas, said the partnership became imperative as youths in the region have suffered neglect from the Nigerian government.
Fabeke said despite the huge oil deposit in the region, the people have been grossly abandoned with their land polluted hindering youths to engage in farming, fishing and other activities to earn a living.
He said with the assistance from the Turkish-based ICAF, youths will find a new way of living.
“Travelling to Turkey will help broaden their horizon and change their thinking. We are taking 150 of them abroad as first set and subsequently others will follow.
“We have no support from government, only goodwill from spirited Nigerians kept us going.
“The diversification of our economy, especially the Agricultural Sector and Solid Minerals are viable sectors that must be explored. If government borrows to create industries and new industrial cities that will help our economy and create employment for our citizens, it will be the ideal thing to end insecurity that is ravaging our country.
“We hope that government will complement our effort so as to pacify the Ogoni people and the Niger Delta region in general”, Fabeke said.

By: Nelson Chukwudi