The Federal Government has announced plans to begin an assessment of the ongoing clean-up of oil-polluted sites in Ogoni land in Rivers State to ascertain how it impacts the lives and livelihood of the people.
The government promised that it would give proper attention to addressing the challenges and bottlenecks affecting the development of the oil and gas-rich area.
The Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement to President Bola Tinubu, South-South, Gift Johnbull, disclosed this during a one-day Ogoni Clean-up Stakeholders Roundtable Meeting, in Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State on Saturday.
Johnbull said the meeting codenamed ‘Na my Area, Na my Country: Climate Resilience and Adaptation in South-South Nigeria’, was an initiative in Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ aimed at bringing the government closer to the people.
The presidential aide revealed that she had been commissioned to visit the oil and gas-rich region to ensure that the renewed agenda is perfected in all the communities.
She added that further engagements would ensure that all Ogoni are carried along in the renewed hope agenda of the President.
Johnbull further said the focus was on inclusion and collaboration to ensure lasting peace and development in the area, pointing out that the clean-up is expected to affect the lives and livelihood of the Ogoni people positively.
“This initiative is to ensure that the Renewed Hope agenda is actualized in every village, creek, community and city in the South-South states.
“We are here to discuss and Evaluate, significant empowerment initiatives, such as environmental remediation and all forms of lives and livelihood improvement which will have a lasting impact on the lives of the Ogoni people.
“However, there is a need to weigh in on our progress thus far and assess the impact of the Ogoni Clean Up as it relates to the improvement of lives and livelihood of the Ogoni people,” Johnbull stated.
She said the Federal Government would address the challenges and bottlenecks hindering development in the area, stressing that Tinubu is committed to bringing the Presidency closer to the people of Ogoni and the entire South-South.
Johnbull added, “We will address the challenges and bottlenecks that may have hindered or slowed down progress if there is any that will be discussed here today.
“The President has established robust governance frameworks and accountability mechanisms to ensure transparency, effective resource allocation, and meaningful community involvement in the clean-up process.”
Speaking, the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, stated that the implementation of the remediation of the Ogoni environment is going smoothly, saying the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, has certified 48 of the sample sites remediated to be free of hydrocarbon pollution.
Zabbey said, “Today the Ogoni clean-up is going on seriously. We are taking the environmental remediation, Livelihood support, provision of water, and strengthening the Health Systems seriously. As of today, we have planted 2,650 seedlings of mangroves.
“One of the targets of the clean-up is to build the capacity of our youths. We will support youths to actualize their potential in life. We recently trained 300 graduates and undergraduates in Proposal writing.”
In his remark, a monarch, HRM Suanu Baridam, advised the presidency to give more powers to the HYPREP Project Coordinator to be able to make decisions in the project, noting that the over-dependence on Abuja for every programme is affecting the project.
Baridam who is the King (Gbenemene Bangha Kingdom) said, “It is not proper that the Project Coordinator will always come to Abuja for approval. For all the requests he will always come to Abuja for approval. The PC should be made to have the powers to make approvals.”
