MOSOP mulls reassessment of polluted sites in Ogoniland

Citing delay in the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland, the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) is contemplating reassessing the polluted sites to determine the extent of their contamination.

To this end, the movement is to meet with indigenes on the governing council of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) for proper briefing.

The spokesperson to MOSOP president, Bari-ara Kpalap, who spoke with The Guardian, said: “The UNEP report was submitted in 2011. It is almost six years and there is no way the situation in 2011 will remain same. What it means is that the level of contamination is far higher now. And that means that there is need for a reassessment of the area to determine the exact state of pollution.”

He regretted that the communities were still drinking contaminated water after the global agency had certified presence of hydrocarbon and benzene due to helpnessness.

“The Ogoni people are deeply worried that nothing is happening concerning this whole clean-up exercise, especially after the flag-off had been concluded. They are disturbed that the pollution is not abating. You can imagine what is happening to our health and survival. We are deeply worried that we are not seeing anything on ground to indicate that the implementation has actually begun,” he lamented.

Kpalap went on: “Our survival has been compromised as a result of this delay. Our underground and surface waters remain contaminated, yet we do not have an alternative. We are drinking the contaminated water. The consequence is that we are dying and suffering ailments.”

He revealed that land had been made available for the establishment of the Centre of Excellence and Soil Management, one of the key recommendations of the report.

Kpalap added that the governing council of HYPREP was to pick a suitable location for the centre.