CONSERVATIONS NIGERIA

Tag: Ogoni Land

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

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

    A civil society organisation, the Social Development Integrated Centre (Social Action) has expressed its reservation about contractors and the quality work by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) for the clean-up of the polluted Ogoni environment in Rivers State. The group specifically questioned the identity of the 21 companies that were given contracts for the clean up by HYPREP.

    Social Action expressed its concerns in a letter addressed to the HYPREP Coordinator, Dr. Mavin Dekil, requesting to see the list of the contractors, with their lots, job types and specifications.

    The letter which invokes the provisions of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, also requested for details on the emergency measures, including livelihood projects so far provided by HYPREP for the Ogoni clean-up project in line with the 2011 UNEP Report.


    “Permit us therefore Sir, to please request, in line with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act of 2001, that you kindly avail us with the following information on and around the clean-up/ remediation processes in Ogoni,” the letter dated June 10, 2019 and signed by the Social Action’s Head, National Advocacy Centre, Vivian Belonwu-Okafor, requested.

    “Ogoni Clean-up implementation framework (timetable) showing activities’ schedule (inception to date, and in-view). List of the 21 companies so far awarded the Ogoni clean-up contract jobs, indicating their lots, job types, specifications, etc.

    “Details on the emergency measures (including the livelihood projects) so far done towards the clean-up, so far provided by HYPREP in line with the 2001 UNEP Report.

    “The requested information would provide us better clarity and insight into the activities of your body and strengthen is further as a CSO (Civil Society Organization) working with communities towards both the desired outcomes of your work (clean-up exercise) and the well-being of communities and it’s inhabitants.”

    Also speaking with newsmen on Monday in Port Harcourt, Bellonwu, said the group would go to Court if HYPREP does not respond to its requests within the stipulated time.

    She said while the government’s intention in establishing HYPREP could be noble, a number of the steps and activities around the report implementation have not helped to shore up citizens’ confidence in the process.

    Belonwu-Okafor also expressed serious concern over the slow pace of implementation of the clean-up process. She added during the discussion that that steps taken by HYPREP were not encouraging, insisting that the organisation must include all stakeholders in the activities to ensure transparency and accountability.

    She pointed out that despite attempts by governments to clean-up, and indeed, remediate the polluted Ogoni environment in line with the UNEP report recommendations, the HYPREP leadership appears to be sabotaging the efforts of governments and betraying the confidence of the people of Ogoni.


  • Minister, others visit UK over Ogoni clean up

    Minister, others visit UK over Ogoni clean up

    Nigeria’s minister of environment, Suleiman Hassan Zarma and other senior government officials are on a working visit to the United Kingdom for the successful clean-up of Ogoni oil spill.

    It was gathered that the trip was facilitated by the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) to enable the delegates to understand global best practices in the remediation of other sites contaminated by oil pollution across the country.

    Minister of Environment, Suleiman Hassan Zarma

    Members of the governing council of Hydrocarbon Pollution and Remediation Project (HYPREP) who are part of the tour are expected to visit five sites in the United Kingdom — Biogénie’s Trecatti and Redhill soil treatment facilities in South Wales and South East England respectively, the Coed Darcy regeneration project in South Wales, the former Avenue Coking Works in the East Midlands, and ALS Laboratories in North West England.

    The sites would provide an opportunity for HYPREP’s governing council to witness the redeveloped land.  Around three-quarters of the site were restored for open space, community and ecological uses, while the remaining areas were used for residential and commercial purposes.

    According to a statement signed by the ministry’s director of press, Mr Saghir Mohammed, the visit would also enable the delegates to observe an extensive range of in-situ and ex-situ remediation techniques, such as soil washing, bioremediation, thermal desorption, separating techniques, and among others.

    It was envisaged that these demonstrations and visits would build HYPREP’s capacity to reuse and recycle many sites and worn-out materials, thereby contributing to the sustainability of the clean-up exercise.

    ” The delegates, expected to visit the Chester laboratory in north-west England would focus on quality, accreditation, sample preparation, analysis of petroleum hydrocarbons, reporting, and interpretation of analysis,” Mohammed’s statement revealed.

    During the tour, they are expected to identify the aspects that could be replicated in Nigeria in order to increase the overall quality of indigenous laboratories.

    UNEP’s 2011 assessment of Ogoniland revealed that bringing back important ecosystems to full productive health could take up to 30 years. The report had recommended that a $1 billion should be set aside for the first five years of remediation activities. Upon completion, the clean-up of Ogoniland could serve as a model for replication in both Nigeria and the region.

    Experts had stated that the restoration of Ogoniland initiated by the federal government could prove to be the world’s most complex and longest oil clean-up exercise ever undertaken. This is why UNEP in its 2011 assessment report highlighted the severe and widespread contamination due to oil production spanning several decades.

  • Women cry out over diseases in Ogoni land

    Women cry out over diseases in Ogoni land

    Ogoni land women leaders in Rivers State have said the activities of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has resulted in high level of diseases in their land instead of alleviating the problem.

    The women made the revelation at a one-day media interactive session on the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on the emergency measures at Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre in Port Harcourt.

    According to the Ogoni women leaders, HYPREP has not provided potable water and health initiatives even after it was reported as an emergency measure by UNEP.

    The representative of Kegbara Dere community, Gokana Local Government Area, lamented the bad state of the community, saying women suffered the most.

    “My community has 56 oil wells and so the pollution level is high. However, HYPREP’s effort to clean up the land is not going well because it did not provide the emergency measures needed, especially for the safety of women,” she said.

    She added that women are exposed to a higher risk of diseases like
    heart attacks, breast cancer, skin diseases, tuberculosis, leading to premature death because they are the ones who use water the most.

    “When the provision of health care, food, and good water was mentioned we were happy, but now the promises have gone with the wind. We don’t understand why they would jump the most important issue that has to do with health and good water supply,” the representative added.

    “We have not seen anything that shows that the clean up is on. Whenever they visit, it is to meet with the chiefs and elders and they cover their eyes with money.

    “We bury our children and relatives daily, and if anyone becomes pregnant, you automatically become a prayer warrior until the person puts to bed. HYPREP is not doing anything to save Ogoni Land; they are not concerned about the people’s health, but only interested in what they will gain.”

    The representative of Kwawa community, Khana Local Government Area, Eucharia Brownson, doubted the existence of HYPREP because they have not seen anything to justify their presence in the community.

    “We have not even seen anyone from HYPREP before, it’s as if we do not exist, the suffering is too much,” she said.

    Responding to the women’s claims, HYPREP said that it was working towards providing potable water for the people while carrying out the clean-up of the Ogoniland.

    HYPREP Project Coordinator, Dr. Marvin Dekil, said during a radio program,
    View Point, on Rhythm 93.7 FM, that studies had been carried out towards ensuring the filtering and treating of water for the affected communities to drink.

    He explained that HYPREP was aware of the needs of the communities and that nothing would be left unaddressed.

    “As government, it means we must carry out necessary studies and also have the sort of capacity that will filter and treat the water as such that water going out to the public is of acceptable standard,” Dekil said.

    “That means that even the facilities as we currently have in place, we need to study them and look at the quality they generate and we need to apply the necessary treatment where applicable. This is what we have been doing over this period.”

    He noted that the companies on HYREP’s website are categorised into.

    “The ones that will do consultancy in relation to existing facilities, the ones that will provide consultancy in relation to putting in new water facilities and the ones that will install new facilities,” he said.

    “Now, we will also have to look at some projections beyond today so that we may be able to provide services that will give us water for today and for years to come.

    “Every contract has a serious component that deals with the young people as security within the community. A whole bulk of work we are doing has to do with training the scientists we have today. Over 90 per cent of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project’s scientists are indigenous Ogoni scientists.”