ERA/FoEN seeks measures on environmental outcomes in Ogoni cleanup, insists on KPIs
• Stakeholders urge FG, HYPREP to redouble efforts
The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) yesterday harped on the need to identify Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure and evaluate the impacts or burden of the outcomes of environmental actions in Ogoniland, particularly Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project’s (HYPREP) activities on the environment.
The Executive Director, ERA/FoEN, Dr. Godwin Uyi-Ojo, while briefing journalists in Benin City as part of a activities to mark the ninth year of Ogoni Environmental Assessment Report implementation, said the success of HYPREP’s activities and operations should be measured by both KPIs and success indicators, which considers the required and available resources for undertaking a task.
He said: “In order to promote active and voluntary environmental monitoring efforts, it is necessary to precisely identify KPIs to measure and evaluate the impacts or burden of HYPREP’s activities on the environment and the outcomes of environmental actions.
“In the context of the Ogoni cleanup, indicators required should include environmental livelihood, health, potable water, gender, human rights and security, among others.”
Uyi-Ojo added that such performance indicators would promote HYPREP’s efforts and other independent organisations for internal evaluation and decision-making with respect to the Ogoni clean-up.
In a related vein, stakeholders have implored the Federal Government and HYPREP to redouble efforts in the clean-up of Ogoniland to achieve a healthy and sustainable environment bearing in mind that the emergency measures and programmes planned are to lapse in the first five years of the project.
They gave the charge in a communiqué issued at the end of a town hall meeting organised by African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), and attended by civil society groups, women, youths, representative of HYPREP, legislators, communities and others against the delay in Ogoni clean-up in Port Harcourt.
The participants said that the expectation of the Ogoni people over pecuniary benefits from the exercise was high and had overtime snowballed into chieftaincy tussle, land disputes and inter-communal conflicts, which is now a clog in the wheel of progress for the clean-up.
They also advised HYPREP to ensure more openness and inclusion in its processes with respect to the clean up and collaborate with civil society organisations.
