UN Satisfied with Ogoni Cleanup Project

•FG inaugurates water projects in communities

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The United Nations representative in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, has expressed satisfaction with the ongoing environmental remediation and restoration in Ogoniland, Rivers State, by a federal government agency, Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).

This was as the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal has inaugurated two water projects completed by HYPREP in communities in Ogoni area.

In his speech at the project inauguration held yesterday in Beeri, Khana Local Government Area and Bunu community in Tai LGA, Fall noted that UN has closely monitored the remediation project in Ogoni.

He stated that UN was in solidarity with the federal government and Ogoni people in the ongoing cleanup.

Fall said: “HYPREP came as result of the recommendation of the United Nation on the pollution in Ogoni land. We want to see how UN can step up with technical assistance. You are not alone in this attempt to mitigate the impact of the pollution and restoration of livelihood of the people of Ogoni.”

He commended the minister for allowing the UN to be part of the delegation, and the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, for supporting the success of the project.

Inaugurating the water project at Beeri, Minister Lawal, noted that the completed  project was a testament of the commitment of the federal government to smooth implementation of the recommendations of the report of United Nations Environmental Project.

“I am very happy to commission this project today. It is a show of our commitment to the remediation of Ogoniland. We thank President Bola Tinubu for committing to the remediation of Ogoni environment as recommended by UNEP.

“It is a beacon of hope for our people who have lived years of degradation in the environment. We are not only remediating polluted sites, we are also ensuring healthcare, good drinking water and improving the livelihood of the people.

“The livelihood is to improve the quality of lives here through skill training. HYPREP and the people should sit together to improve on the issues of training, because it is key. The two water projects are just part of what we are trying to do. This is to show that we are doing well,” Lawal said.

Earlier, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof. Nenibarine Zabbey, said the completed projects demonstrated the agency’s commitment to completing all the projects in the area.

Zabbey noted that the occasion also proved that HYPREP was making progress in the clean-up of Ogoni, adding that over 100 projects were at advanced stages of completion.