FG adhering strictly to UNEP report on Ogoni cleanup, says Dekil

*Ogoni 

By Joseph Erunke

ABUJA-PROJECT Director of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project,HYPREP, Dr. Marvin Dekil, has the federal government was following strictly the report of the United Nations Environment Project on Ogoni cleanup in the ongoing remediation project in the area.

Dr. Dekil, while insisting that the government had ensured that work being carried out was done in line with international best practice, also said the government was ensuring stakeholders and community inclusion at all levels of decision making in the area.

He told journalists in Abuja that appointment of a core professional, a qualified Environmental Scientist, Dr. Mahmood Mohammad Abubakar as Minister of Environment to oversee the management of the project, had made things easier.

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“The Federal Government has also ensured that the Ogoni clean-up is carried out in line with international best practice and every recommendation in the UNEP Report strictly followed by re-engaging UNEP team to provide technical support both in the field and in the Project Coordination Office, PCO”, he said while giving an update on the level of work carried out so far in the area.

“The Federal Government in structuring HYPREP has ensured stakeholder and community inclusion at all levels of decision making which are evident in the composition of the membership of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Governing Council (GC), and Central Advisory Representatives Committee (CRAC),” he added.

He said, “The Federal Government led by President Mohammadu Buhari remains resolute and committed to the promise made to the people of Ogoni to clean up polluted lands and restore the livelihood of the people.”

“The President has demonstrated his commitment by approving the request by the Honorable Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar to carry out some administrative and technical energization as well as the reinvigoration of the processes for better performance and project delivery,” he added.

HYPREP, according to Dr. Dekil, ” has employed over 200 Ogoni young scientists in the PCO”, adding: “21 of these young intelligent Ogoni youths have received intensive training in the Management of Contaminated Site Assessment, Clean-up Assessment, Clean-up of Contaminated Sites and Field Work Techniques in Geneva and the United Kingdom.”

According to him,” In Phase 1, Batch 1 of the on-going remediation works, over 500 community workers engaged by the Contractors have received basic training on HSE and remediation processes.”

” In Phase 1, Batch I, a total number of 582 community youths have been recruited and are currently working on 21 sites,” he said, adding that: “About 783 community youths will be engaged by the contractors under the Phase I, Batch II as soon as the COVID 19 lockdown is lifted.”

Dr. Dekil also said,” HYPREP has carried out water quality assessment of all drinking water sources in the four local government areas of Ogoniland.”

” Assessment of the water sources has enabled HYPREP to determine areas most needed for the emergency water supply scheme,” he said, adding that “HYPREP has also surveyed the water reticulating distances in the four local government areas for the supply of potable water in the communities.

According to him, ten existing water schemes will be rehabilitated across the four local government areas” and are expected to supply about 10,950,000 litres of water per day to the communities.”

“We are also in the process of engaging consultants to carry out the detailed design for the new water scheme in Ogoniland. The tendering processes are ongoing. On the 15th of February 2020, 7 contractors were handed over the contract for groundwater monitoring,” he said.

Also reeling the achievements of his organisation in the health sector in the area, Dr Dekil said:”In 2018 and 2019, HYPREP carried out two medical missions in the past for the collection of initial data for the study.”

HYPRED,he said, “Carried out an audit of health personnel and infrastructure in Ogoniland. This was done in the company of UNEP public health experts.”

“HYPREP is currently putting final touches to processes for the commencement of its health impact study,” he said.

Recall that HYPRED, a project of the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the Federal Ministry of Environment, was set up to implement the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programmes, UNEP,on the assessment of Ogoniland.

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