– Warn against sabotage
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Federal lawmaker, traditional rulers, and diplomats have called on the people of Ogoniland to support and protect the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, warning against acts that could sabotage the multibillion-Naira environmental and livelihood restoration initiative in Rivers State.
Speaking at the 2023-2025 Midterm Stakeholders’ Engagement and Scorecard Presentation held in Port Harcourt, Hon. Dumnamene Dekor, member representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, commended the revitalised pace of HYPREP under the leadership of Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey.
“The HYPREP we have today is doing their job with all sense of vigour. I thank the Honourable Minister of Environment and Prof. Zabbey for driving this process,” Deekor said.
He warned beneficiaries of HYPREP’s livelihood programme against selling off their starter packs, stressing that the projects must be protected by the people.
“Let us take these projects seriously and guide them as our own. I am pushing a bill for the sustainability of this project, and by the grace of God, it’s going to be an executive bill. The people of Ogoni must stop sabotaging HYPREP’s efforts, especially in my own communities,” he said.
Also speaking, the Emere of Eleme, a respected traditional ruler, Dr. Philip Obele, noted the historical significance of the Ogoni struggle and the lives lost in pursuit of environmental justice.
“HYPREP is built on the graves of the Ogoni people. We must ensure that what is being done now truly benefits our people. If we are doing the right thing, our people who have died for this cause will be happy,” the monarch stated. “Let us remember them by doing what is right and just.”
In his remarks, Ambassador Oji Ngofa, Nigeria’s former envoy to the Netherlands, called for a long-term view of the Ogoni clean-up efforts.
“What we should be looking at is the sustainability of these projects. Our people must be trained to ensure continuity and impact long after HYPREP has completed its mandate,” Ngofa said.
Meanwhile, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, HYPREP Project Coordinator, presented the project’s scorecard, outlining key milestones achieved under the environmental remediation, livelihood restoration, water supply, public health, and peacebuilding components.
According to him, 50 remediation lots across 17 UNEP-assessed sites have been completed and certified, while 13 additional sites were officially closed after reinvestigation showed they no longer posed contamination risks. He also highlighted the clean-up progress of over 1,700 hectares of oiled shoreline, 53% of which has been completed.
“We are advancing the world’s largest oil-degraded mangrove restoration initiative. The pilot phase covering 560 hectares is already 93% complete,” Zabbey said.
He revealed that over 7,000 direct jobs have been created for Ogoni youths and women through various HYPREP programmes, while ten potable water stations are now operational in 30 Ogoni communities. Two hospitals, a 43-bed Cottage Hospital and a 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital, are nearing completion.
“Our success is built on President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes the Ogoni cleanup. But we must be candid about the challenges, misinformation, land disputes, litigation, and sabotage from within communities. The Ogoni community holds the key to HYPREP’s success. Ownership, cooperation, and vigilance by the people will ensure that these interventions are protected and sustained.”
The event brought together traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society actors, youth representatives, and development partners, all of whom expressed a shared commitment to the project’s long-term success.
As Ogoni’s historic clean-up effort enters a critical phase, the message from stakeholders was clear: the community must take ownership, support peacebuilding, and avoid actions that jeopardize the gains already made.
