– Cleans plastic wastes in Ogoni mangrove
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP has announced that the first phase of its shoreline cleanup in Ogoniland would be completed in the next three years, while the pilot phase for mangrove restoration would be completed in the next one year.
Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, noted that cleaning up oil spills from the shorelines was something that must be done with the utmost care, since tidal pumping over the years had pushed spilt crude oil into sediments.
Zabbey who spoke shortly after he led members of HYPREP Environment Clubs on the cleaning up of plastic wastes in mangroves of Bomu Creek, as part of activities to mark the 2024 World Environment Day, assured the people of Ogoni of a sustainable mangrove restoration, shoreline and land remediation.
He said, “The current phase of our shoreline clean-up will be completed in three years, because it is something that will be done with diligence and utmost care. So we flush to release the oil, boom it, skim it off, and then take the recovered oil out of the environment, to where the treatment will be done.
“Due to tidal pumping, spilled oil has been pushed into the sediment, so what our cleanup contractors are doing is to use flushing hose to push in water into the sediment to release the oil, and that has to be done with the utmost care, because the hallmark of a successful shoreline cleanup is the environmental benefits to protect the integrity of the sediment; otherwise the biodiversity recovery will not be achieved.
“What we are assuring the Ogoni people is that we will deliver sustainable mangrove restoration, successful shoreline cleanup, and land remediation in Ogoniland. We are mindful of the fact that we have a leadership role to play and so we are developing a template that will be replicated in the rest of the Niger Delta.”
On the cleaning of plastic wastes in the restored mangroves in Bomu Creek, the HYPREP boss explained that plastics pose a serious threat to biodiversity, noting that the younger generation were used in order to make them vanguards for environment conservation in their communities.
“The presence of plastic wastes at the base of mangroves are not only unsightly, but poses a threat to biodiversity. So we came here to cleanup these plastics so that they can grow well.
“The essence of mangrove restoration is to recover biodiversity. Interestingly, the 2024 World Environment Day hashtag is generation restoration and our efforts today is symbolic and strategic, we are also creating emotional attachment between our club members and the mangroves. We have explained to them the ecology and they will be the ones to protect the mangroves because everybody needs to take action to protect biodiversity and that is what we are doing today.
“These are students of secondary schools in Gokana. So far, HYPREP has established 20 Environment Clubs in Ogoniland. Apart from building their capacity, we are making the learning process hands-on and getting them attached to nature, so they can be advocate for environment conservation and restoration, so it can become a community effort.”
Also speaking, a member of HYPREP Environment Club and student of Community Secondary School in Bomu, Monday Dumbari, said removal of plastic wastes from the mangroves unsustainable would help recover lost biodiversity.
“We removed plastic bags and other polythenes from the mangroves. The importance of this exercise to me is that, If we are able to maintain this exercise of cleaning up the mangroves, it will help us to see more organisms that we have lost.
“It will also help the mangroves have better growth.”