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Clean-Up: Ogoni Youths Differ Over FG, HYPREP’s Actions …Issue Seven Days Ultimatum
Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF) has called on all sons and daughters of the communities to rally support for the Minister of Environment, Barrister Abdullahi Mohammed, and the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Dr. Ferdinand Giadom, to deliver the Ogoni clean-up project in record time.
This is even as another set of youths of Ogoni have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi for his role in the alleged delay in the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), report on oil impacted sites in Ogoniland.
The Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF) is an umbrella body of all Ogoni youths and organisations operating in Ogoniland, Rivers State.
A statement signed by the President-General, Ogoni Youth Federation, Comrade Legborsi Yamaabana, made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt, commended the duo for their outstanding performance recorded so far in the project.
Yamaabana pointed out that the decision to applaud the duo was due to the ongoing linking of Ogoniland to the national grid, and building of a specialist hospital.
He further explained that, other areas of commendation include unparalleled commitment and resolve to the success of the Ogoni clean-up project and overhaul of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to meet timelines set for delivery of the project.
OYF leader called on the general public to discountenance insinuations from rumour mongers and jobbers, who are hell-bent of tarnishing the hard-earned reputation of the minister of environment by accusing him of contract hijack, among other things, and claiming that Ogoni youths are planning to carry out a protest at HYPREP office and other strategic locations in Ogoniland.
“This is a pathological lie that should be jettisoned in its entirety and let it be known that as at today, Ogoni Youths are happy with the way, manner and direction in which the minister of environment and the project coordinator of HYPREP are steering the ship of the clean-up project.
“Whilst we are not holding brief for HYPREP or Ministry of Environment, for the records we wish to state that credible information available to us reveals that certain individuals, disparaging the Minister of State for Environment and disgusting as though they are fighting for the interest of Ogoni, are not fighting the Ogoni cause but are those who collected money from unsuspecting firms, and promised to use the name of Ogoni to secure them HYPREP contracts in return.
The president general also warned rumour mongers, blackmailers and jobbers to desist from any form of unholy act or risk their names being mentioned to the general public.
“However, when the firms they took money from started requesting for refund, and when the perpetrators noticed that the minister for environment is a man of due process who cannot be bullied and who is not ready to cut corners nor award contracts to portfolio carrying firms, they became rattled and purportedly passed a vote of no confidence on him as a strategy to blackmail the minister and get what they want.
“This is laughable and Ogoni youths are forced to question the nativity of these individuals, because this is not the attitude of the Ogonis.
“We advice these characters to go and refund monies collected from films, apologise to the minister of environment and desist from negative acts that tends to portray Ogonination in bad light.
“May we also use this medium to warn them to desist from this unholy act or risk their names being mentioned.
“We call on all sons and daughters of Ogoni to rally round and support the Ministry of Environment and HYPREP to deliver the Ogoni clean-up project in record time,”Yamaabana stated.
However, rising from a press conference in Port Harcourt, youths of Ogoni in Rivers State have asked President MuhammaduBuhari to immediately sack the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi for his role in the alleged delay in the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on oil impacted sites in Ogoniland.
The youths and stakeholders also demanded the full implementation of the Local Content Act in the award of contracts in HYPREP, and livelihood programmes for people of the area.
Failure to do so within seven days, the youths said, would attract a mass protest at the Federal Ministry of Environment and shutdown of HYPREP activities.
Briefing newsmen after a meeting of Ogoni youth leaders and stakeholders in Port Harcourt, President of South-South Youth Initiative, Comrade Saviour Oscar Imeabe, said the mismanagement of the HYPREP clean-up programme, which was supposed to remediate the Ogoni environment and create succour to the people, and the fact that the project has completely derailed from its motives, has left them with no option than to inform the world about their disappointment and next line of action in a bid to return the project back on track.
He recalled that in 2017 when the clean-up programme took off, Ogonis were very upbeat about their expectations but, “sadly, five years after, two project coordinators have come and gone, and now, we are operating with the third and the story is the same or even worse”.
He lamented that, “today, all the contracts in HYPREP are being awarded to faceless contractors without recourse to the established Local Content Act which guarantees the local contractors a fair share of the allocation in the contract spread. Five years down the line, not even a single aspect of the project has been conclusively done, yet, millions of dollars and billions of naira have been frittered away.
“The livelihood programme, which was also a key aspect of this project that was supposed to give a sense of belonging to the youths of the land, has been so politicised and whittledown to a level that has turned Ogoni youths to beggars on a project they should claim ownership of.
“This and many other ills in HYPREP, today, have made a mess and mockery of the good intentions of the President MuhammaduBuhari who came through as a white knight to the Ogoni people when we needed him most. The project, which was supposed to be a field project, has been converted to a paper work which exists only in Abuja while the degraded environment which was supposed to be remediated is left in further degradation.
“The current project coordinator literally lives in Abuja and wakes up daily to the whims of the minister who has demonstrated complete lack of commitment to the project. Contractors who have no business in environmental works are those holding sway in HYPREP today as long as they have Abuja connection.”
The youths further demanded the full implementation of Local Content Act in the award of contracts in HYPREP based of 60/40percent ratio in favour of the Ogoni people, immediate suspension of every attempt to withdraw $300,000,000, from the Ogoni Trust Fund by the HYPREP management as alleged and the removal of the minister of environment who ‘has become a clog in the wheel ofprogress to the implementation of the project, due to his constant bureaucratic bottlenecks that has delayed the project beyond expectations, amongst others.
They warned that, ‘failure to show commitment and accede to our requests in seven days after the receipts of our complaints, we shall have no other choice than to shut down completely the activities of HYPREP’.
Also speaking, President, National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP), Comrade Kingsley Menele, said the body has no confidence in any leadership of HYPREP as they have failed in the implementation of the UNEP report.
He called on the Federal Government to quickly intervene, and call them to order or the youths shall protest at the expiration of the ultimatum.
On his part, Rivers State Chairman of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Comrade NwisabariBani, said they were in solidarity with Ogoni youths in calling for the implementation of livelihoods programmes for them.
A member of the late Ken Saro-Wiwa family, Mr YiraWiwa, who also spoke at the briefing, said they have led several delegations to HYPREP but all their demands have never been adhered to.
“We have led several delegations to meet the management of HYPREP but our demands have fallen on deaf ears. The area is still very much polluted, there is no clean-up going on anywhere.
“Since the present PC came on board in March, nothing has happened there except meetings upon meetings without any effect. The water project which has been bided for and people expecting it to happen is stagnant including the livelihoods programmes,” he said.
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.