The federal government has started compensating Ogoni citizens affected by a power project, alongside distributing clean energy stoves.

The federal government has commenced the process of compensating Ogoni citizens whose landed property, farms or livelihoods were affected in the right of way by the ongoing construction of the power project in the area.

The project, a federal government initiative being executed by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), is meant to provide electricity to Ogoni communities, in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 2011 report on the environmental assessment of Ogoni, following years of devastation caused by oil exploration in the area.

The federal government, through its agency, HYPREP saddled with the responsibilities of implementing the remediation and livelihoods restoration recommendations of the UNEP report, began the verification process for the right of way compensation over the weekend, at the HYPREP liaison office in Gokana council headquarters, Kpor, Rivers State.

One of the would-be beneficiaries who simply identified himself as David, from Kpor Community, described the verification exercise as transparent and thanked HYPREP for the gesture.

He also thanked the federal government for the Ogoni power project initiative and UNEP for the recommendation.

“I came here for the verification. From what I saw, there’s no partiality in the process. I thank HYPREP for this. I also thank the federal government for the Ogoni power project. It’s a good thing to have light”, he said.

In a related development, HYPREP commenced its bio-diversity eco-system preservation measure by distributing clean energy cook stoves to Ogoni citizens in eight communities in Gokana.

HYPREP Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, represented at the occasion by the agency’s legal adviser, Ichibor Joseph, said the stove distribution was a pilot scheme by HYPREP to see if stoves could replace wood as a source of fuel for the people of the shoreline communities in the area.

“It is actually part of our pilot scheme to distribute stoves to citizens of the community. Basically, it’s part of our pilot projects to maintain our restoration project. You are aware that we’re driving the mangrove project across Ogoni Land.

So, we are test-running this project to see how best stoves can replace wood and see how, moving forward, whether we can adopt this or look for better alternatives,” he explained.

Uche Izuchukwu, mangrove restoration officer, HYPREP, said the agency had embarked on mangrove restoration since January 2024, noting that the clean energy stove distribution was aimed at sustaining the restoration project.

“Even though some of our mangroves have started developing, we noticed the natural mangroves around them, people going there to cut them and use them as firewood.

“Part of what we are doing here today is conservation and sustainability. We are trying to see how to stop the cutting of our mangroves for firewood because very soon some of these mangroves will be ready and they will be matured enough to be used for firewood”, he further explained.

Most of the recipients of the clean energy cooking stoves thanked HYPREP for the initiative which they said would help reduce the exposure of their eyes to smoke.

One of the beneficiaries, Lezi Lene, said: “I am very happy because we have been using firewood to cook and the thing is really affecting us, especially our grandmothers, based on their eye issues. So, using this stove will help improve their eye sight.” (Arise News)