HYPREP Begins Complex Sites’ Clean-Up In 2022 …As Senate Advises OgonisTo Own Projects

The Hydocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) will commence the clean-up of complex oil spill impacted sites in Ogoniland in Rivers State as from next year.
The Officer Overseeing the Project Coordination Office of HYPREP, Prof. Philip Shekwolo gave the indication last Thursday, during the visit to some clean-up sites by members of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, as part of their oversight function.
The committee members visited some clean-up sites in Gokana Local Government Area and ongoing water projects in Eleme Local Government Area.
While addressing newsmen, during the event, Prof. Shekwolo said HYPREP was currently remediating some less complex sites in the four Ogoni-speaking local government areas, assuring that it would approach the more complex sites as from 2022.
He, however, appealed to the host communities in the various complex sites to cooperate with HYPREP to further avoid re-pollution of the environment.
On its part, the Senate called on the people of the affected communities in Ogoniland to do everything humanly possible to own all government projects sited in their localities by protecting them at all times.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, Senator Hassan Mohammed-Gusau, who made the call equally lamented the destruction of water taps by some faceless individuals in the area, and appealed for a change of attitude.
Mohammed-Gusau also advised HYPREP to follow to the letter the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report in the clean-up of Ogoniland.