The Project Coordination Office of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) yesterday, disclosed that its Board of Trustees (BOT) has released about $360 million from the Ogoni Trust Fund to accelerate the clean-up exercise in Ogoni land.

The Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, said the amount is yet to be exhausted, as they are still paying contractors. Zabbey disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists after a four-day tour with members of the BOT, at the weekend.

He said: “I can confirm that the Board of Trustees has released about $360 million. We have not exhausted the money as we are still paying contractors.

“We have been in the field with the BOT members, showing them our facilities and project sites. We have taken them to water facilities and those who have benefitted from our livelihood programmes.

“We did this because it is the responsibility of the BOT/Ogoni Trust Fund to investigate if we are spending the money given to the project coordination office prudently.”

Both the BOT and Ogoni Trust Fund expressed satisfaction with the level of work done in the ongoing clean-up project, saying the remediation work has been completed.

The members, after the four-day tour in the four councils of Ogoni, said the work done justified the money spent so far. Members of the Trust Fund, comprising the Chairman, Dr. Mike Nwielaghi, Bebe Okpabi, Emmanuel Deeyah, Babajide Damazio, AdokiyeIkpoki and BOT members, visited completed water projects at Alesa Eleme, Bori Town, Kpean Community, Terabor, Gokana, Barako and Korokoro Tai. They also visited the remediated site at Alode, Kpean Gio/B-Dere, among others.

Earlier in his presentation, the Technical Director of HYPREP, Prof. Philip Shokolo, highlighted the challenges hindering the smooth implementation of the projects to include , flooding of sites near swampy terrains, disruption of works by restive community youths, as well as levies and extortion from contractors by some communities.

He listed other issues as attempts to hijack control from contractors by some communities, communal land disputes and chieftaincy tussles, as well as theft and vandalism of potable water supply material, pipes and equipment.