By Nelson Utip
Plans are underway for the assessment of Oil polluted sites in Ogoniland in Rivers State and it’s impact on the life and livelihood of the people by The Federal Government who also promised to pay proper attention to the challenges and bottlenecks affecting the development of the oil and gas-rich area.
This was made known by The Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement to President Bola Tinubu, South-South, Gift Johnbull during a one-day Ogoni Clean-up Stakeholders Roundtable Meeting, in Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State over the weekend.
The SPA to The President said the meeting codenamed ‘Na my Area, Na my Country: Climate Resilience and Adaptation in South-South Nigeria’, was in tandem with President Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ and aimed at bringing the government closer to the people.
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Johnbull said that she has a mandate to visit Ogoniland to ensure that The Renewed Hope Agenda is perfected in all the communities, adding that further engagements would ensure that all Ogoni people are carried along in The Renewed Hope Agenda of the President.
She also said that the focus was on inclusion and collaboration to ensure lasting peace and development in the area, she pointed out that the clean-up will positively impact on the people and their livelihood.
“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 restated The Federal Government’s readiness to address the challenges and bottlenecks preventing the development of the area, emphasizing the federal government’s commitment in bringing the Presidency closer to the people of Ogoni and the entire South-South.
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“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.” She continued.
The Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey in his speech said that the implementation of the assessment of the Ogoni environment is going on smoothly and that the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, has certified 48 of the sample sites remediated to be free of hydrocarbon pollution.
“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.”Zabbey said. HRM Suanu Baridam, a monarch in Ogoniland advised the presidency to give more powers to the HYPREP Project Coordinator so as to enable him make decisions in the project, he noted that the over-dependence on Abuja for every programme is delaying the project.
HRM Baridam is the King of Gbenemene Bangha Kingdom, he 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.”
