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… Ensure Regular Release of Annual $200m
By Joel Anekwe
Environment Right Action/Friends of the Earth ERA/FoEN has urged the Federal Government to ensure compliance with the UNEP recommendation on emergency measures to provide portable for Ogoni communities.
The call by ERA/FoEN is coming the heels of reports the contractors has been moblised to site for the commencement of the actual cleanup of crude oil polluted sites in Ogoniland.
The environmental advocacy group also demanded that the government should ensure that at least $200-million per year is provided timely and sustain-ably to avoid the situation of short fall that occurred in 2018.
Speaking during the Environmental Parliament and Launch of ERA Independent Environmental Monitors in Port Harcourt Wednesday, Dr. Godwin Ojo, Executive Director, ERA/FoEN said the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), the agency supervising the nclean up 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.
He observed that HYPREP recourse to a comprehensive water scheme to cover all Ogoni communities is a welcome development but stressed that it should translate from talks to immediate action.
This according to him is because “people are dying daily from drinking polluted water contaminated with heavy metal such as benzene” which has been reported to be cancer- causing and kill over time”.
He also recommended that government and HYPREP should commence the development of the Centre of Excellence and the Integrated Contaminated Soil Management Centre (ICSMC) arguing that “no meaningful cleanup will be done without it”.
According to Dr. Ojo government should “initiate a quarterly transparency and accountability meeting open to all stakeholders” and use such platforms to gain trust and confidence and validate the integrity of HYPREP.
In addition, he wants government to set up a database for the information on the remediation process; develop a robust economic empowerment package/programme for local community members involved in artisanal crude oil refinery.
Reacting on the current status of the cleanup exercise, Dr. Ojo said “The multiple claims that contractors have mobilised to site and that cleanup has commenced is false as there is no visible sign of contractors going by reports from our independent field monitors who are closely monitoring the process and were there this week”.
He added: “this briefing analyses the activities of HYPREP in contravention of the UNEP recommendations for the remediation and restoration of the Ogoni environment. The report finds monumental deviation that has eroded public confidence and will likely compromise the quality of the cleanup process. Hence we request HYPREP to stick to the concrete recommendations relating to the cleanup process. This report is of interest to critical stakeholders in the Ogoni Cleanup process”.
The event saw the presentation of some members of the 100 Community Independent Monitors (CIM) trained by ERA/FoEN and its local, national and international allies to complement the cleanup process.
He said the monitor would provide qualitative and scientific progress reports on the state of the cleanup process. “It will provide feedback to HYPREP, government agencies, media and the relevant stakeholders to ensure transparency and accountability and ensure quality clean up”, Dr. Ojo stated.
Some equipment required for the monitoring exercise like barometers, thermometers, hand organs and computers were also presented at the environmental parliament.