HYPREP Reassures Ogonis On Stakeholders’ Engagement

The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project ( HYPREP) has reassured the Ogoni people of its commitment and zeal to continue to interface with all stakeholders towards actualising the collective yearnings for a cleaner and more prosperous Ogoniland.
The Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who gave the indication during the celebration of the 2024 Ogoni Day in Bori recently said the Federal Government’s agency understands the imperativeness of a robust, mutually beneficial, accountable and transparent interface, as it takes seriously the issues of inclusivity, community ownership and participation, as well as gender parity to ensure that there is peace, cooperation and ownership of the project at the community level.
Zabbey noted that the various projects being executed by HYPREP have their attendant economic and social benefits, especially in job creation for the teeming Ogoni youths and hands-on training in the remediation industry, its value chain and more, and urged the people to take advantage of the opportunities, particularly this year to better and improve their wellbeing.
According to him, the goal of HYPREP is to ensure a sustainable ecosystem and development in Ogoniland, even as it has since 2017, worked to ensure a clean and economically viable environment for the Ogoni people.
“We believe that a clean environment is fundamental to achieving other goals. The 2024 Ogoni Day celebrations serve as a platform for innovative and effective stakeholder engagement, offering a new model for cooperation to attain shared objectives”, he said, contending that the role of Ogonis in this collaborative effort, which is focused on the common good can not be overstated, as it holds a central position for sustainable development.
The Project Coordinator explained that HYPREP is at a critical phase in its implementation process, with a myriad of projects running simultaneously, including the land and shoreline remediation; mangrove restoration; the Ogoni Specialist Hospital; the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration; the Ogoni power project; among others, which he said the agency has maintained effective supervision, monitoring and evaluation to ensure value for money.
He also noted that HYPREP is determined to ensure that its projects and programmes are inclusive, completed within stated time frames, and deployed for the use and benefit of the Ogoni public.
While reiterating the commitment of the Federal Government to implementing the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report on Ogoniland, Zabbey said the recent completion and commissioning of the Terabor, Korokoro, Kpean and Ebubu water schemes by the Minister of Environment, Hon Balarabe Abbas Lawal, is a testament to the steadfast commitment of the government through HYPREP to the full implementation of the UNEP Report recommendations, particularly in the provision of potable water that meets World Health Organisation’s( WHO) standard to the Ogoni people.
The Project Coordinator also paid glowing tribute to all Ogonis at home and in the diaspora in recognition of their immense contributions and support towards the success of the Ogoni clean-up project, stressing that the commemoration of the Ogoni Day underscores the importance of togetherness, culture, resilience and peace as a foundation for societal development.

By: Donatus Ebi