As controversy continues to trail the reconstitution of boards of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, a group, Ogoni Youths Development Initiative (OYDI) has raised the alarm over what it suspects as ‘foul play’ in the appointment of Mr Emmanuel Deeyah as the Chairman, Board of Trustees of HYPREP.
A statement by the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Monday, said the President has re-appointed Emmanuel Deeyah as HYPREP BOT Chairman alongside other members of the board and the governing council.
However, the group argued that Deeyah has never been BOT Chairman of HYPREP to warrant his ‘re-apppointment’, describing the statement as misleading.
The group alleged that some politicians may have hijacked the process of reappointment by replacing the former chairman, Dr Mike Nwielaghi’s name with their preferred candidate.
The group in a statement signed by its president, Comrade Imeabe Saviour Oscar called on President Tinubu to review the appointment and replace Deeyah with Nwielaghi.
It expressed confidence in the ability of the former board to continue to deliver on its core mandate of supervising the disbursement of funds for the Ogoni cleanup process.
Oscar said: “The previous Board of Trustees (BoT), led by Dr. Mike Nwielaghi, performed remarkably well in delivering on your Renewed Hope Mandate. The Ogoni people were satisfied with their work, and OYDI formally conveyed a Vote of Confidence to your office, urging their re-appointment to ensure continuity. It is therefore shocking that, instead of building on that success, efforts are now heightened to truncate this momentum.
“From the State House release, it is clear that your intention is to re-appoint Dr. Mike Nwielaghi, as HYPREP’S BoT Chairman. Yet, we are informed that certain politicians have hijacked the process, replacing his name with that of Hon. Emmanuel Deeyah, a staunch loyalist of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike”.
The group argued that the substitution may not have been intended by Mr President saying, “This substitution does not reflect your decision, but appears to be the handiwork of individuals seeking to serve personal political interest.”
Oscar stated that it is necessary for the president to review the appointment to continue to enjoy the support of the Ogoni people.
“Your Excellency, if the will and support of the Ogoni people are important to you, we respectfully request that you reverse the recent announcement and restore the re-appointment of Dr. Mike Nwielaghi as BoT Chairman of HYPREP,” he said adding; “Any new appointment, for instance, Hon. Emmanuel Deeyah, should be classified as an appointment and not re-appointment”.
The group president held that, “It is crystal clear that the President re-appointed Dr. Mike Nwielaghi not Emmanuel Deeyah, who has not been chairman of HYPREP BOT”.
While acknowledging President Tinubu’s commitment to the Ogoni cleanup process which they said has restored hope to the people, the group regretted that political manoeuvring has continued to place square pegs in round holes and thereby jeopardizing progress in Ogoniland.
OYDI insisted that even if the appointment of HYPREP BOT Chairman is done on the basis of political patronage, Nwielaghi deserves it having worked in the finance directorate of the Tinubu/Shetima Campaign Organisation in 2023.
“Your Excellency, even if the appointment would be done on political baseline, Dr. Mike Nwielaghi has been your staunch supporter. He is an erstwhile Chairman of Alliance for Democracy (AD) when you were Governor of Lagos State, member Finance Committee, Finance Directorate Tinubu/ Shetima Presidential campaign Council in the 2023 Presidential election. He contributed morally and financially in no small way traversing the length and breadth of this great nation, in the realisation of your Presidency,” the group said.
The Ogoni group however, expressed confidence in Tinubu’s commitment to fairness saying ; “We trust in your sense of justice and commitment to fairness, and we are confident you will act speedily in the best interest of Ogoniland and Nigeria by reviewing the ‘mistake’ in the State House Press Release”.
