Ogoni Clean Up: Cabinet Approves N449 million for Environmental Restoration

The Federal Executive Council has approved N449 million as consultancy and design fee for a center of excellence for environmental restoration for Ogoni people of Rivers State.

Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, revelaed this while briefing State House Correspondents on decisions reached at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said: “The Ministry of Environment, based on clear instructions of the President, in fulfilling his promise to the Ogoni people towards the remediation objectives, and the livelihood programme, took a very major step today by approving the award of contract for consultancy services, and the design of Center of Excellence for environmental restoration with an integrated contaminated soil management Center.

“The award was given at the sum of N449, 250,040.50 of course inclusive of 7.5% VAT. And it is unexpected that this project completed within three months.”

The Minister said the construction of the center will help address the problem of unemployment in the affected area.

“This center is very epochal, because it is meant to impact in terms of employment generation in terms of laboratory tests for land remediation efforts on the site that contaminated. So, that it can be made easily cultivatable by the people for their fisheries activities for their farming activities and access to water,” he added.

Giving further details on what will be the benefits of the project when completed, Abdullahi said:

“So, the design is supposed to incorporate and an oil spill emergency response department, self-assessment department, soil and groundwater cleanup and remediation technologies, waste management, health and safety and laboratory department, entrepreneurship Development, library, student hostels for male and female, staff quarters, sport complex and a demonstration arena for integrated contaminated Management Center.”

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