Mkpoikana Udoma
28 November 2018, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt — The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, has issued the Hydrocarbon pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, 60 days ultimatum to commence an integrated water project for Ogoniland or face a civil shutdown.
Publicity Secretary of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, said the massive deaths in Ogoniland as a result of contaminated water has become intolerable, hence the issue of delays in water provision can no longer be tolerated.
Nsuke alleged that in a week, at least 100 persons have died within the coastal communities in Gokana Local Government Area alone, describing the situation as a deliberate ploy to kill the people and force them to accept the poor standards being adopted by HYPREP in handling the cleanup.
He said the situation in Ogoni demands that water provision is given a top priority to provide an alternative to the poisonous liquid called water in Ogoniland.
According to him, “HYPREP is not prepared for this cleanup because the integrated Soil Management Center which should handle the massive wastes from the polluted sites is not in place and the provision of water which should be treated as an emergency has been seriously degraded.
“What HYPREP is interested in right now is how to spend the cleanup funds meant for Ogoniland ahead of the 2019 elections and that is not acceptable to us.
“If HYPREP fails to commence the Ogoni water project within the next 60 days, we will mobilize a massive civil protest against HYPREP.”
The MOSOP spokesman further disclosed that the people of Ogoni will not accept any plan by HYPREP to award contracts for the cleanup ahead of the 2019 elections, maintaining that HYPREP is not prepared for the cleanup