CONSERVATIONS NIGERIA

Tag: Cleanup

  • Ogoni Cleanup poorly executed – Elders Council

    Ogoni Cleanup poorly executed – Elders Council

    The ‘Gbo Kabaari,’ Ogoni Elders Council has written a letter to the Minister of Environment over what it described as the flawed implementation of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) recommendations of Ogoni Clean-up exercise, alleging insiders abuse within government agencies.

    The letter dated March 18 2020 also accused officials NOSDRA of complicity .

    The letter was signed by Senator Bennett Birabi as Chairman; Dr. Aluba Bari D. Nbete, General Secretary; with Mr. Ledum Mitee; Mr .Baritor L. Kpagih; Chief Monday Nbueh; Chief Michael Aloega and John Pascal Nalley, as members.

    Read also: Minister, others visit UK over Ogoni clean up

    “Even more worrisome is the fact that by the UNEP Report which forms the basis of the clean-up exercise, about 30 per cent of the estimated cost of $1 billion for the first five years of the exercise was to be utilised for the provision of alternative drinking water, alternative employment for those in artisanal refining and restoration of artisanal refining sites,Ogoniland Restoration Authority and Centre for Excellence in Restoration,” the letter alleged.

    “Yet, nothing significant has been done about these out of the $360million that is reported to have been released so far for the clean-up exercise. There is equally a mind-boggling disproportion between the said reported disbursed amount and the scope of job done in terms of remediation, environmental sustainability, livelihood enhancement”.

    The letter further stated that it is obvious from the way activities connected to the clean-up are carried out that the lives of the Ogoni people have been tagged with prices and are being conspiratorially mortgaged for various forms of patronage and inordinate economic and political interests of some powerful and influential players outside of Ogoni.

    Read also: Ogoni cleanup under HYPREP has failed — MOSOP

    “What else can account for the award of contracts for a highly technical job such as hydrocarbon pollution remediation to incompetent non-indigenous companies, whose only qualification is their possession of procured documents that are at a variance with their technical capabilities, and annoyingly so?

    “Perhaps equally worrisome is the fact that persons who have been part of the problem in the first place are now being put in charge of critical aspects of the equation”.

  • Former minister calls for speed in Ogoni land cleanup

    Former minister calls for speed in Ogoni land cleanup

    Former Minster of Environment, Mrs. Hadiza Mailafia, has said the cleaning up of Ogoniland in Rivers State, Nanka in Anambra and other polluted places should not continue for eternity.

    She made the remarks at the 13th meeting of the National Council of Environment (NCE) in Kaduna.

    READ ALSO: Ogoni cleanup: Group frowns at quality of HYPREP’s work

    Due to negligence on the part of the authorities the Ogoniland cleanup has tarried longer than it should, almost eight years after the receipt of the technical report prepared by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the instance of the Federal Government.

    In her remarks, the former minister urged the Federal Government and the Ministry of Environment, in particular, to tie its activities to a timeframe, saying, “Works should not continue for eternity. There must be a starting point and there must be a goal.

    READ ALSO: Group questions Nigerian Government over Ogoni cleanup process

    “Say by the year X or by the month Y, you would have achieved something. The environment ministries are very important, but the quality of personnel in them will determine the standing.”

    She went on: “The world is interested in what we would call the 3Es – Education, Energy, and Environment.

    “The issues of pollutions, erosions are across the country from Nanka in Anambra State right to Zamfara State. It is real, and so are the issues of climate change.”

    In his opening address, the Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammed Mahmood Abubakar, said the event, with the theme, “Promoting Environmental Advocacy for Sustainable Development: A panacea For Achieving The Next Level Agenda”, is in tandem with the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s desire to turn the economy around for good.

    He called on the private sector to seize the opportunity and invest in waste management, watershed management, renewable energy eco-tourism, green bond as well as encourage the implementation of the UNEP report for the remediation of Ogoniland and other efforts to remedy tainted places in other states.

    The minister reiterated the commitment of the ministry in achieving the target of planting 25 million trees as pledged by the president at the just concluded United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) through massive afforestation and collaboration with state governments and other critical stakeholders.

    He said: “In spite of numerous challenges, this government has demonstrated the political will and true commitment in reviving the ‘Nigeria Project’ by dealing with immediate and pressing issues of improving security, tackling corruption and revitalising the national economy.

    “It is in the light of this that the government has to come up with a clear path, the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERPG) 2017-2020. Pursuant to the objective of the ERPG plan in the environment sector, our discussions and deliberations will revolve around the objectives which the present administration has set to achieve for the nation.”

    Abubakar added: “ I wish to admonish our distinguished delegates to be guided by the spirit of nationalism and remain objective in considering the merits or otherwise of submitted council memoranda by applying the appropriate criteria as it relates to the ERPG set targets.”