Rivers
CSOs Condemn Protest Against HYPREP Project Coordinator
A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working on environmental justice in the Niger Delta region has condemned protest by few Ogoni youth against the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, in Abuja recently and linked it to malicious and a procured protest.
The Leader of Rainbow Watch, Comrade Michael Garale, made this known recently when he spoke with newsmen in Port Harcourt.
Garale hinted that the youths that protested in Abuja were sponsored and paid, while passing a vote of confidence on the project coordinator, and urging the youths to shun actions that could disrupt the ongoing remediation work in Ogoni land.
“We want to make it known that the motive behind the protest was to blackmail HYPREP under the leadership of Prof. Zabbey, with the aim of extorting money from the Project Coordinator, and they were fully paid with transportation, feeding and accommodation for days”, he said.
The group also revealed that HYPREP’s cleanup of Ogoniland has recorded measurable progress under Zabbey’s leadership and should not be undermined by politically motivated agitation.
“We acknowledge the frustration of some communities that have waited decades for a clean environment, while others have been cleaned, but sabotaging the cleanup process will only delay justice for Ogoni people”, he said.
The CSOs noted significant improvements in accelerated soil and groundwater remediation in Phase 1 sites, increased engagement with Ogoni communities and traditional institutions, transparent procurement processes and employment of Ogoni contractors and youths.
They further informed on the establishment of the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, provision of portable drinking water in 46 communities, cottage hospital at Buan, Specialist hospital in Kpite , Ogoni electricity power project at Wiiyaakara, which is on-going, as well as the clean up of complex sites and the revegetation of mangrove in key areas.
The group cautioned that protests targeting HYPREP risk halting contractors, displacing workers, and giving room to misinformation that undermines donor confidence and federal support.
“We call on Ogoni youth to engage constructively through the Community Liaison structure, Grievance Redress Mechanism, and dialogue with HYPREP and traditional leaders. Violence, blockades, or attacks on project sites will not clean our land faster, it will set us back”, the coalition stated.
The CSOs stated its commitment to independent monitoring of HYPREP and urged the Federal Government to release outstanding funds to keep the cleanup on track.
In his response, the National Chairman, Defence for Democracy, Comrade Solomon Clifford, said Prof. Zabbey has given HYPREP a new shape and wonderd why some faceless groups will tarnish the image of the Project Coordinator and called on the President and the Hon. Minister of Environment to disregard the protest.
By: King Onunwor