Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Health of Mother Earth Foundation has expressed worries over what it described as sluggish manner which the Ogoni clean-up project has been approached, 12 years after the UNEP Report was submitted.
This is as the foremost environmental rights group lamented that the clean-up of oil impacted sites in Ogoniland has taken longer than necessary, despite the availability of resources and manpower.
Director of HOMEF, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, warned that time was of essence as the pollution gets worse with every passing day, and urged the newly appointed Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, to make accountability and transparency key planks of his tenure.
Bassey while congratulating the newly appointed HYPREP boss, called for regular consultations in which projected milestones are shared and achieved targets are presented, urging him.to do things differently.
The HOMEF boss emphasised that transparency, focus and inclusion of all relevant stakeholders must be key in HYPREP’s operations.
“We applaud the appointment of Prof. Nenibari Zabbey, who has deep knowledge of the Ogoni environment and has done important research in the area and in the wider Niger Delta region. This appointment coming 12 years after the UNEP report should signify a turning point in the sluggish manner by which the clean-up has been approached.
“With Zabbey’s pedigree as an academician and activist, the expectations of stakeholders are high and failure is not an option. Things must be done differently, and the complex pollution sites must be tackled resolutely.”
HOMEF also urged the Federal Government as well as the oil and gas industry to begin a comprehensive cleanup of the Niger Delta region and take coordinated action to end to all forms of pollution including through gas flaring.
“While we congratulate Prof. Zabbey on this appointment, we equally take the opportunity to register some key urgent demands and hope that he uses his office to advocate for a comprehensive health and environmental audit of Ogoni land, the entire Niger Delta and wherever there has been negative impacts of hydrocarbons exploration and exploitation.”
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