Nigerian Government reiterates commitment on Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project

Zeniat Abubakar, Abuja

The Nigerian Government has assured members of the public that the establishment of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project HYPREP, is guided by legal instruments and International obligations which effectively placed it under the purview of the Federal Ministry of Environment.

This the government said is in line with its gazette and United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP report guiding the establishment of HYPREP as the project is aimed at solving environmental challenges and therefore is appropriately domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Environment.

The Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, who disclosed this in a press statement in Abuja, the nation’s capital also, implores all stakeholders to remain calm and continue to cooperate with HYPREP as it strives to execute its mandate.

The Minister emphasized that the Ministry of Environment will continue to provide purposeful leadership towards the actualization of the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to clean, remediate and restore the polluted environment not only in Ogoniland but the rest of the Niger Delta and beyond.

“We wish to further inform the general public that President Muhammadu Buhari has, vide a memo dated 28th April, 2022 with Ref No, PRES/81/SGF/82 conveyed via the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, reiterated the oversight of the Federal Ministry of Environment over HYPREP and has directed the Minister of Environment to deliver on the Ogoniland cleanup with dispatch.” Abdullahi explained.

He added that while approving the reorganization of the operations of HYPREP to make it more effective, President Buhari also directed for the full audit of the accounts of HYPREP from inception to date.

The Ministry however, assures all International Oil Companies, IOCs, partners and Ogoni Stakeholders of the commitment of the Federal government to those instruments and obligations.