The Federal Government has promised to address the concerns raised by the Ogoni community about the on-going environmental remediation of oil impacted sites in the area being carried out by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, made the promise while addressing community leaders, youths, women groups and other stakeholders in Ogoni at a forum held in Bori, the Council Headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
She explained that the essence of the meeting was to interact with them to find out the areas of the project they think needed improvement to better deliver on the mandate of the project and not the usual reading of prepared speeches.
“I would like to hear from you, and I will respond and tell you what we have planned for the Ogoniland clean-up project.
“I know we are behind schedule in some key areas, and I appreciate the concerns you raised here today about the project as this will help us to work together to fast track the process taking into consideration benefits to the communities,” she said.
Ikeazor added that the youths would be engaged as Environmental Surveillance Officers. “We want to work with the youths and women groups to acquire the skills and be empowered for sustainable living so that we would not be doing this over and over again,” she added.
Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof. Philip Shekwolo, in his opening remarks, briefed the stakeholders on the achievements of the project in the areas of remediation, provision of potable water, and livelihood training programmes, among others.
In his submission, His Royal Majesty, King Godwin N. K. Gininwa, the Gbenemene of Tai Kingdom, said that though HYPREP is not for only Ogoni, Ogoni people should be considered first before other communities as they have suffered so much degradation in their land.
