FG pledges to address Ogoni cleanup

The Federal Government has promised to address concerns raised by an Ogoni community over environmental remediation by Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project.

Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, made this known while meeting with community leaders, youths, women and other stakeholders in Bori, the headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Ikeazor explained that the meeting was called to find out areas of the project they think need improvement for better delivery on the Ogoni cleanup project and not the usual reading of prepared speeches.

She declared: “We know we are behind schedule in some key areas. We also appreciate concerns raised by the people about the project, as this will help both to work together to fast-track the process, taking into consideration benefits to the communities.”

The minister added that youths would be engaged as environmental surveillance officers.

“We want to work with youths and women to acquire skills and be empowered for sustainable living so that we would not be doing this over and over again,” she said.

King Godwin Gininwa, the Gbenemene of Tai Kingdom, said though HYPREP was not only for them, Ogoni people should be considered first before other communities as they had suffered much environmental degradation over the decades.

He appealed to the Federal Government to commence work on the proposed University of Environment to be sited in Ogoniland as it would assist in educating and training the people and putting them in a better position to assist the community in managing the environment.

The former President, Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, Ledum Mitee, called for more visible benefits on the lives of the people by establishing industries in the region to employ more people instead of giving handouts.