Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, has launched an investigation into the recent collapse of a water tank in Gwara community, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, assuring residents that the damaged facility will be rebuilt to standard.
Speaking during a press briefing in Port Harcourt, HYPREP’s Head of Communications, Mr. Enuolare Mba-Nwigoh, said the Project Coordinator had immediately constituted an investigative committee to ascertain the cause of the incident and ensure accountability.
“Following the collapse of the water tank, the Project Coordinator quickly constituted an investigative committee to get to the root of the issue,” Mba-Nwigoh said. “HYPREP will ensure that our people get the best, and the damaged facility will be fixed.”
He disclosed that the agency has so far commissioned 16 water projects across Ogoniland, supplying potable water to 45 communities, with a target to reach 65 communities before the end of 2025.
“We are targeting to provide water to 65 Ogoni communities before the end of 2025,” he stated. “All our projects are executed with strict attention to quality, safety, and integrity. We do not compromise standards.”
Mba-Nwigoh added that HYPREP has recorded five million manhours without any injury, a feat he described as a testament to the agency’s safety culture and commitment to best practices.
“Already, we have recorded five million manhours without injury, which speaks to our high safety standards and culture,” he said. “We have consultants and monitoring officers who ensure that our contractors comply with project specifications.”
Also speaking, HYPREP’s Legal Adviser and Vice Chairman of the investigation committee, Mr. Ichibor Gowon, said the committee had visited the scene of the incident to begin its assessment.
“We were there first thing this morning and a committee has been constituted to investigate the cause of the collapse,” Gowon said. “The good news is that we have commissioned 16 water projects and only one has collapsed. That is a pass mark, and we assure the people of Ogoniland that we will restore the Gwara water project.”
Gowon explained that while debris from the collapsed tank was still being cleared, the foundation remained intact, which would aid reconstruction.
“The investigation is still ongoing, and by Friday we will speak again to give updates,” he added. “We are on top of our game and pray it will not be a human error.”
HYPREP reiterated its commitment to transparency, community safety, and the timely delivery of all remediation and livelihood projects under the Ogoni clean-up programme.
