Ambrose Nnaji
THE money paid for the take-off of the clean-up in Ogoniland is not impacting on the people, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has cried out.
The Paramount Ruler, Kanni Community, Khana Local Government Area of River State and Vice President of MOSOP National Transition Council, Prince Birra, who spoke on behalf of the Ogoni, at the weekend, said Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Joint Venture’s (JV) $180 million remittance for the initial take-off of the exercise was not reflecting on the people in the area.
He, therefore, called for a stakeholders’ meeting where the Hydrocarbon Pollution and Remediation Project (HYPREP) under the Ministry of Environment would explain to the people what they had done with the money.
Birra also pointed out that the value of the money needed to be seen and the people should be convinced about it.
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HYPREP was established under the Federal Ministry of Environment to determine the scope, means and modalities of remediation of soil and ground water contamination in impacted communities as may be recommended by HYPREP Governing Council and remedy them in Ogoniland and other impacted communities.
The Project Coordinating Office, Governing Council and the Board of Trustees are the organs that make up HYPREP.
“All we are hearing is news; there’s nothing very visible, and nothing concrete that the Ogoni are convinced that something is going on”, the monarch told The Nation on telephone.
He, however, observed that there were skeletal works going on in some of the sites, but noted that they fell short of the people’s expectations.
According to him, there were things they should do to properly clean-up the place as recommended by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), including immediate the supply of water to some sensitive areas that the issue of Benzene pollution was heavy
“They ought to provide water to these areas. These are the primary things they ought to do that the people would be convinced.We don’t understand what they are doing,” he said.
Birra urged the ministry to give MOSOP a report on what they were doing. “They always say they are doing something, but what are they really doing? Sometimes they will say the money is in intact; if the money is intact, what are they doing with it?” he asked.
The money is with HYPREP and the governing board and they should tell us what they are using it for, he added.
Efforts to speak with the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Dr. Marvin Dekil, were not successful, as he did not pick the calls put across to him.
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