Tinubu bows to Ogoni youths’ pressure, reinstates HYREP coordinator

President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, reinstated Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, as the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project.

This comes after massive protests on Monday by hundreds of youths and various groups from the Ogoni extraction in Rivers State.

The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, announced Zabbey’s reinstatement in a statement on Monday titled ‘President Tinubu reinstates professor Nenibarini Zabbey, as HYREP Coordinator.’

Monday’s development comes two days after Tinubu approved the appointment of Dr Olufemi Adekanmbi, a former Commissioner for Special Duties, Culture and Tourism in Ondo State, as the new Project Coordinator for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project.

Explaining the reason for the reversal, the Presidency said Tinubu “reached the decision following a performance review of the HYPREP Project Coordinator and concluded that the Project Coordinator is fit to discharge his functions by the regulations guiding the execution of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project.”

Zabbey was first appointed HYPREP Coordinator in May 2023 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, succeeding Dr. Giadom Dumbari.

On Monday, Ogoni youths occupied HYREP located along the Ken Saro-Wiwa Road in Port Harcourt, demanding the reinstatement of Zabbey, an indigene.

The protesters, numbering over 200, rejected Zabbey’s removal, saying they would occupy the office until the President reversed his decision and appoint an Ogoni indigene.

Speaking to newsmen, leader of the protesters and Publicity Secretary of MOSOP, Savior Oscar, said they were there to register their dissatisfaction with the decision of the President.

Oscar stated, “We are here to tell Mr President and the world that the Ogoni have been marginalised and neglected for too long; that the Ogoni people have suffered untold hardship for several decades.

“This project office for the clean-up of Ogoni land is not something we merit from the Federal Government. It was given to us out of the Ogoni struggle. And the money that is being used to run the HYPREP office is not Federal Government’s money; it is Ogoni money.

“So we decide who will be Project Coordinator and it must be an Ogoni son. We, the Ogoni people, have the priority to decide who the Project Coordinator of HYPREP will be.

“President Bola Tinubu addressed Nigerians on June 12, he never never mentioned anything about the Ogoni problem. His predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, added the Ogoni issue in his New Year address, but President Tinubu has never addressed the Ogoni issue. We reject the removal of our son, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey as the HYPREP PC.”

On his part, National President, National Youths Council of Ogoni People, Barinuazor Emmanuel, said the protest would be sustained until their demands were met.

“We are here to show our solidarity that Ogoni indigene must be the Project Coordinator of HYPREP. We have just heard that the President has reversed his decision. We want to thank him for reinstating Professor Zabbey.

“And we send this as a note of warning that this project is our project. Ogoni people have lost more than two thousand lives and the best lives, Ken Saro-Wiwa and 13 others on this project. And we are telling the federal government that this year’s budget of N380 billion has not been implemented.

“We want peace in Ogoni and we want to use this medium to call on the federal government to release all funds due to HYPREP to enableit do its job effectively.”

Also, the Chairman, HYPREP Host communities, Barigie Goodluck, called on the Federal government to make the remediation process work and reinstate Prof. Zabbey as the HYPREP Coordinator.

He stated, “We have 19 contactors in Bomu in Gokana LGA, which is a community I represent. Professor Nenibarini Zabbey has done what he is supposed to do. We are aware that some contractors that felt they have connections at the federal level are the ones behind all these things.

“We want to say that as Ogoni people, we will not take it, There is no way you will remove a known Professor that knows his job and bring in one Dr that we don’t know where he is coming from. It should not be a political appointment.

“The Ogoni people will not accept this because Professor Zabbey has done well for the Ogoni people and has done well on this project. He has our support. If the federal government doesn’t want to clean our polluted environment, no problem.  But if Professor Zabbey is not reinstated we will not accept any other person.”

Our correspondent reports that while the protest reports of Professor Zabbey’s reinstatement filtered in turning the atmosphere into jubilation as calm returned at the HYPREP office,