Environment Minister, Stakeholders
Environment Minister, Stakeholders Meet on Ogoniland
Clean-Up
The Minister of Environment, Mohammad Mahmoud Abubakar at the
Joint Meeting of the Government Council (GC) and Board of Trustee’s
of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in his remark
after assuming the chairmanship position of the Governing Councilof
HYPREP promise to ensure a comprehensive clean-up of Ogoniland.
HYPREP is the project coordinating outfit established by the
federal government under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of
Environment to carry out a comprehensive remediation of the
polluted areas of Ogoniland in line with the United Nations
Environmental Programme, UNEP.
The Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company of
Nigeria (SPDC), Osagie Okunbor who was the Acting Chairman of
HYPREP while handing over the mantle of leadership to the Minister
stated that he stepped into the chairmanship position to avoid
administrative gap in the remediation project, after the
dissolution of the previous federal executive council
The Minister in his inaugural statement reaffirmed his commitment
to work in synergy with his counterpart Ministers of Petroleum
Resources, Timipriye Silva and that of Niger Delta Affairs,
Godswill Akpabio who are both on the Governing Council, including
other stakeholders to fast-track the remediation process of Ogoni
land.
The Minister stated that President Muhammad Buhari is very
passionate about the Ogoniland cleanup, “and from the brief I got,
I want to assure you all that we will get maximum support from Mr
President to fast track the remediation exercise”.
Mahmoud reiterated that as an environmentalist himself, hehas
always been passionate about the Ogoni clean up and has kept pace
with the remediation process even before he was appointed a
minister to oversee the sector.
The Minister stressed that, ‘’the clean-up is about livelihood and
thus a comprehensive work need to be done to ensure healthy living
of the people of Ogoni land. This administration will do everything
possible to restore livelihood in the affected areas so as to give
the people new lease of life”.
After taking a comprehensive view of the enormous challenges
affecting the Ogoni people in the polluted environment, the
Minister noted that the immediate challengewas to find a permanent
sources of clean and portable waterfor the people, because,
according to him water is the essential father in human survival
and existence. ‘’one can go on hunger strike but not possible to go
on water strike”.
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio in his remark
stated that it is under President Buhari that the Ogoni people are
having a new lease of life after over a decade of UNEP report.
Akpabio reiterated that the project was launch by the Vice
President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo in 2016 and action started in 2017,
he said his ministry is committed to work with ministry of
Environment to deliver high quality remediation exercise and bring
the hydrocarbon pollution to the barestminimum.
The Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Marvin Marvin Dekilsaid the
meeting of today is to build on the previous success recorded from
the field to scientific exercise, buy in from town hall meetings,
collaborations with the River State Government and the Ogoni
people. Speaking further, Marvin said efforts are in place to
ensure a proper remediation process and that they have the capacity
to do it if the challenges of procurement process can be improved
as it will help to provide portable drinking water on a sustainable
level.
Saghir el Mohammed
Director Press