HYPREP Savours 14 Years Of UNEP Report Release  …Says Report’s Full Implementation On Course

The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has started savouring and reflecting on the release of the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) Report on Ogoniland, contending that 14 years after the release of the report, a glimmer of hope now beckons from the horizon, transforming a once seemingly bleak and despairing situation into one of opportunities, boundless possibilities and a reassuring future for Ogoni communities and posterity.

The Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who gave this indication in a statement signed by the Project’s Head of Communications, Dr Enuolare Mba-Nwigoh, said the release of the UNEP Report on August 4, 2011 signals the Federal Government’s commitment to address decades of environmental concerns in the Niger Delta and further heralds a transformative developmental trajectory for the Ogoni people.

He noted that the implementation of the report’s recommendations by HYPREP has made its spirit and letter a reality, expressing and interpreting its tenets in ways that place the people at the core of the environmental remediation and restoration of the livelihood efforts.

According to him, HYPREP has recorded tremendous successes in soil and ground water remediation, shoreline cleanup, mangrove restoration, provision of potable water, public health interventions, construction of the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, construction of the Ogoni power project and sustainable livelihoods.

“We are pleased to confirm that we are on track in our noble quest to fulfil the Project’s core objectives. This is evident in the scorecard so far,” he said, contending that in the area of remediation, HYPREP has completed and obtained NOSDRA’s closeout certification for 50 lots in the simple risk sites while the ongoing remediation of medium risk sites is now at 38 percent completion stage.

According to him, the phase 1 shoreline cleanup and mangrove restoration stands at 56 percent and 93 percent completed, respectively, while notable achievements have been recorded in the construction of the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, which is currently at 90 percent completion stage; Ogoni Specialist Hospital; and Buan Cottage Hospital which are at 86 percent and 98 percent completion level, respectively.

Zabbey further indicated that the provision of potable water has gained momentum, with 30 communities already having access to water while four additional water projects were commissioned yesterday, August 7, thus, bringing the number of communities with reticulated potable water to 42, adding that the phase 1 of the Ogoni power project is now over 40 percent complete.

He said the Ogoni cleanup programme is revolutionising the socio-economic landscape of the region, empowering people and families, contributing to peace building and security, and improving the Human Development Index(HDI), while aligning with almost all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).

The statement noted that “The dedication and dexterity deployed by previous leaders have taken the Project this far. Still, it is the innovation, inclusivity and a bottom-top approach to programme conceptualisation and implementation, proactive and strategic paradigms of Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, Project Coordinator of HYPREP, under the supervision of the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, that has buoyed efforts to deliver a people-centred, sustainable and fit-for-purpose cleanup programme in Ogoni,”

The Project Coordinator said in demonstrating a greater commitment to the swift implementation of the UNEP Report, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, has prioritised the Ogoni cleanup through the Presidential Directive, the directive which he noted, prioritises the remediation of the environment and ensures that the Ogoni people benefit from the cleanup efforts.

“We are further encouraged by the fact that the Ogoni people are benefiting from the full range of deliverables from the various projects and are active participants, working closely with HYPREP for effective project delivery,” he said.

Zabbey noted that HYPREP is particularly interested in sustaining the goals recorded so far, saying, this is why it is building collaborative partnerships across strata, including the development of technical and administrative frameworks to achieve a sustainable cleanup programme.

According to him, HYPREP remains grateful for the tremendous support it has received from governments, the diplomatic community, the Ogoni people and other stakeholders.