Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has commenced training of over 5000 people in 20 different skill areas to empower them to earn their livelihood and become productive in the Ogoniland.
Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey disclosed this at Kpor Community, in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, while addressing community workers undergoing training on shoreline protection, environmental remediation and mangrove restoration in Ogoniland.
Prof. Zabbey said HYPREP project in communities in Ogoni would further empower the people and give them better source of livelihood.
He explained that the training is part of HYPREP’s livelihood programmes for people of the area as the skills acquired would be beneficial to them beyond Ogoniland and even after the project has ended.
“We have projects site scattered all over Ogoni like the Ogoni Environment and Restoration Centre. That project alone would empower 800 Ogoni youths. As we speak, over 300 Ogoni youths are currently working there and of course, the Ogoni Specialist Hospital is also there and your colleagues are also working there.
“Now when we put all these together including those that are working at our 39 remediation sites as well as the 40 water projects sites, a critical mass of the youths and women of Ogoni are involved in our clean-up activities and that’s promoting sustainable livelihood,” he stated.
The 2000 community workers are to assist the over 34 contractors working on shoreline protection in the area.
They are undergoing Training on International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Certification 1&2 and are expected to work on the over 460 hectares of mangroves in the area.
The Project Coordinator emphasised that the cleanup activities in Ogoniland is in accordance with international best practices.
Further according to him, “The cleanup we are doing in Ogoni is people-centred. It’s inclusive and following international best practice. For you to qualify to work in a wet land, in the creeks, in the shoreline, you need International Maritime Organisation, Certification 1&2 and that’s what this training is all about.
“As you are doing this training, training is going on concurrently at Bomu and when we are done with your batch, another batch will come on board for this same training so that overall, we are going to train over 2000 community workers that will support the cleanup. What that means is that you are now given the tools to be able to clean up polluted environment”.
Earlier at a stakeholders meeting in Bomu, Prof. Zabbey said there was need to get the community people to buy into their projects as they are primary beneficiaries.
His words: “We are doing this because when we are done with the restoration, it will take many years to monitor the return on ecosystem goods and services by the mangrove we have planted. So it’s the community people that will join us to plant the mangroves, join us in monitoring the performance of the mangroves even when we have left Ogoni.”
One of the facilitators of the training, Mr. Jonah Shekwolo, said the training which has duration of four days is expected to give participants the needed qualification to work on the shorelines.
He said the training is internationally acceptable and the course content is standard and with qualified facilitators.
He expressed the hope that at the end of the training, participants would be able to operate equipment and know the strategies in environmental remediation and safety measures.
