– Urges global role in Ogoni pollution cleanup
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Civil Society Organizations have lauded the quality of work and visible progress at the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, CEER, in Ogoniland, calling it a critical step forward in the long-awaited cleanup of the region.
The CSOs during an inspection of the CEER in Wiyaakara, expressed confidence that the facility, once fully equipped, would play a pivotal role in not only restoring Ogoniland but also providing technical expertise to other regions around the world grappling with environmental degradation.
The CEER, recommended by the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, in its assessment of the Ogoni environment, aims to research into environmental pollution, develop the necessary manpower and technical capacity for environmental degradation.
Speaking, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, noted that the center’s work would help communities better understand the extent and causes of pollution in their environment, turning Ogoni into a “laboratory of a degraded environment” from which global lessons can be drawn.
“The structure is impressive, and we are optimistic that it will serve as a center of global excellence for environmental restoration,” Bassey stated.
While he commended the progress, Bassey emphasized that the center’s long-term success depends on adequate funding, particularly from the polluters responsible for the environmental damage.
He stressed the importance of ensuring that the facility remains well-equipped and properly staffed to achieve its ambitious goals of environmental restoration.
Also speaking, Comrade Celestine Akpobari, of Peoples Advancement Centre emphasized that the facility must produce tangible outcomes that will not only benefit Ogoni but also contribute to solving global environmental challenges.
Akpobari stressed that while the physical structure of the CEER has been built, it remains “just the carcass” without the vital resources, research, and intellectual input needed to make it a true “Centre of Excellence.”
“This is just the beginning. What we need is not just a building but a serious center of learning,” Akpobari said.
According to Akpobari, the Centre should become a hub for serious research and innovation, generating products and solutions that are valuable to governments, communities, and the global public.
He also raised concerns over the lack of legal backing for the Ogoni cleanup project, noting that it was currently only supported by a gazette and insisted that the center’s long-term success depends on stronger legal protections and government involvement.
