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By Our Reporter
Despite working at a pace which it says meets international best practice, the Engr. Marvin Dekil-led Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) has come under a barrage of condemnations from a broad spectrum of Ogoni youths and environmental rights activists.
Tuesday, the leadership of the Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF), in a strong-worded release sent to our office, described the Ogoni cleanup exercise being conducted by HYPREP as “a charade and a tactical cover up.”
OYF’s statement echoes the grave concern in Ogoniland over the likely realization of the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) on the clean-up of the Ogoni area.
The concerns find substance in the absence of portable drinking water, medical evaluation and treatment for the Ogoni people, establishment of Centre of Excellence in Environmental Studies and Integrated Contaminated Soil Management Centre, as well as provision for youth involvement and training, since the commencement of the restoration project.
In a blistering reaction, the Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF) contended that the cleanup is suspect without these remedial provisions in place. “We make bold to say the Ogoni cleanup is nothing worth its name but a charade and a tactical cover up for re-entry for oil exploration.
“It is worrisome that over two years after the flag off of the cleanup exercise, the Hydrocarbon Pollution restoration Project, (HYPREP) under Marvin Dekil and the Federal Ministry of Environment has continued to deceive the people with rhetoric, rather than carrying out the actual recommendations of the United Nations Environment Program report,” OYF said.
In the release, signed by its president, Comrade Yamaabana Legborsi, OYF warned HYPREP “and the Federal Ministry of Environment to do the right thing by implementing the recommendations of UNEP or be ready to face vehement resistance from Ogoni youth.”
Also, rising from a meeting in Bori in October, another youth body, the Ogoni Youths Coalition Movement (OYCM), expressed strong dissatisfaction with HYPREP’s tender process, contractor participation and youth involvement in the project.
In a release signed by Hon. Sunny Bekanwah (President), Pastor Probel Williams, Comrade Fred B. Giadom and Comrade Philip Douglas, they frowned at what they saw as the exclusion of youths and other persons in the area from the implementation of the cleanup process.
In the same vein, Environment Right Action and Friends of the Earth (ERA/FoEN) said the Federal Government needs to ensure compliance with the UNEP recommendation on emergency measures to provide portable water for Ogoni communities.
The group called on the Federal government to inject at least $200-million per year for concrete remedial efforts to take roots. Dr. Godwin Ojo, executive director, ERA/FoEN said HYPREP, the agency supervising the cleanup exercise should develop a 5-year work plan that indicates short, mid and long term goals of the project life cycle and ensure transparency of the process.
Marvin Dekil, fielding questions from Port Mundial Newspaper, averred that the concerns expressed provides an opportunity to address the general performance and processes that HYPREP is involved in.
He said that HYPREP is a project that is governed by the laws of the Federal Government of Nigeria, taking into account the procurement processes, the process of selecting companies for the cleanup, competence and professionalism.
Thus, he said, HYPREP needs to assess local and foreign technical partners that provide the expertise that is needed to get the job done, in line with the procurement act and laws of the federal government.
“So, insinuations that companies without capacity were brought here, is not true. I mean we don’t want to join issues with people who probably don’t have the facts. But I can assure that the commitment of HYPREP is absolute to implementing the UNEP report.” He contended.
