Precious Anga
Lagos — A civil society organisation, the Ogoni Liberation Initiative, OLI, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order to halt the release and utilisation of more than ₦62.5 billion approved as a cost variation for the Ogoni clean-up programme, arguing that the projects for which the funds were approved had already been completed.
The group is also asking the court to investigate the management of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, alleging that the approval of the additional funds did not comply with due process and could amount to a misuse of public resources earmarked for the environmental restoration of Ogoniland.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the organisation said it had instituted legal action against HYPREP and other relevant parties, urging the court to restrain the agency and its officials from accessing or disbursing the disputed funds pending the determination of the suit.
According to the group, the legal action seeks to ensure accountability and transparency in the implementation of the Ogoni clean-up programme, which was launched to address decades of environmental degradation caused by oil exploration activities in Rivers State.
The Convener of the Ogoni Liberation Initiative, Dr Douglas Fabeke, said the organisation had submitted documentary evidence before the court, alleging financial irregularities in the execution of the remediation project.
Fabeke claimed that available records indicate that some funds allocated to the clean-up programme could not be properly accounted for, raising concerns over the financial management of the intervention.
He further criticised the oversight role of the relevant committee of the National Assembly, alleging that it had failed to provide adequate scrutiny of HYPREP’s financial activities and project implementation.
The organisation maintained that an independent investigation is necessary to determine how public funds allocated to the Ogoni clean-up have been utilised and whether the additional ₦62.5 billion approval was justified.
The Ogoni clean-up project, initiated following the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, is one of Nigeria’s most significant environmental remediation programmes, aimed at restoring communities affected by decades of oil pollution.
The court is expected to determine whether the disputed funds should remain frozen pending the outcome of the substantive suit and whether the allegations raised by the group warrant further investigation by the appropriate authorities.
