By DANIEL ABIA, Port Harcourt

The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), has faulted claims attributed to the Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar that the international oil companies, IOCs, have contributed $1billion for the cleanup of the heavily polluted Ogoni environment.

Fegalo Nsuke, the President of MOSOP, while reacting to the Minister’s disclosure, told our correspondent that the revelation has exposed the corruption in the hydrocarbon pollution remediation project, HYPREP, and called for the probe of the agency.

“This revelation exposes the corruption that is ongoing in the Federal ministry of environment Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) . It is ridiculous that $1billion has been spent on the corruption and looting on HYPREP”, he alleged.

Fegalo pointed out that “the secrecy with which HYPREP business is being conducted calls for questions and we demand a probe into the activities of HYPREP.

“Ogoni is still polluted as ever and our conclusion is that the cleanup funds have only enriched a corrupt Nigerian system and benefited political interests”, the MOSOP President said.

The Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar, was recently quoted to have said that the oil majors in the Niger Delta had so far contributed the sum of $1billion for the cleanup of the Ogoni environment.
This was the initial sum recommended by the United Nations Environment Program, UNEP, for the cleanup.

Abubakar disclosed that the remediation of 21 lots of phase one batch has been cleaned while 17 lots were completed by Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).

According to the Minister, 10 out of the 17 lots were closed-out by National Oil Spill Detection Agency (NOSDRA) and that the certification sampling of three lots for close-out was also completed. “While the other three are awaiting certification sampling for close-out by NOSDRA, the remaining five, which are yet to be completed by HYPREP, are at various stages of completion.

“Also, 36 remediation contracts comprising two project activities, namely soil remediation works, 29 lots, and tier two assessments of groundwater works, seven lots, were awarded in February 2020. However, due to the global Coronavirus pandemic in the first and second quarters of 2020, activities preceding mobilisation of these contractors to site were slowed down.

“As at today, nine remediation lots have been completed and are awaiting for NOSDRA certification and seven other contracts for detailed quantitative environmental risk assessment to determine ground water conditions in some selected sites were completed.”

The minister said that the Federal Government inaugurated the construction of six water schemes in March 22 at Bori, Khana Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers.

He said that the sites were Bori/ Kpea Water Scheme in Khana Local Government Area Barako/Bori-Dere/Kpea Dere water scheme in Gokana LGA.

He gave others as Terabo water scheme in Gokana LG Area, Korokoro/Nonwa water scheme in Tai LGA, Alesa water scheme in Eleme LGA and Ebubu/Nsisioken/Ogale water scheme.

He said that rehabilitation and construction works had started in all the sites.
Abubakar said that about 882 youths in the communities were engaged by batch one remediation contractors while additional 1,118 youths were also engaged by batch two remediation contractors. (Daily Independent)