Ogoni Clean-up: President Buhari inaugurates HYPREP Governing Council

The Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated the second Governing Council, of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), and the Board of Trustees of the Ogoni Trust fund for the cleanup of Ogoni land domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Environment.

The President, who explained that this action was part of efforts to create an environment for enhanced structured and focused delivery of the project, tasked members to proffer solutions to challenges affecting timely completion of the project.

In the Keynote address he delivered at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja’s Nigeria’s capital, President Buhari urged members of the council to proffer solutions to the challenges of community disruption due to land disputes, leadership tussles and unnecessary pressure on the contractors.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha, Buhari regretted that the development had resulted in what he referred to as “as lost times.”

Noting that,” Though some milestones and timelines could not be accomplished circumstantially”, the President assured that “we are nevertheless determined to recover lost grounds and achieve our goals through deliberate efforts to reinvigorate our processes and the machinery of delivery.”

In addition to your roles and responsibilities, as stated in the HYPREP Gazette of 2016, I expect you to proffer solutions to the challenges of community disruption due to land disputes, leadership tussles and unnecessary pressure on the contractors.

He explained that the inauguration was informed by the Minister of Environment, who requested to “further rejig and restructure HYPREP in order to create an environment for enhanced structured and focused delivery of the Project.”

”The Minister of Environment has informed me that remediation of polluted land is progressing in various parts of Ogoniland and I have approved his request to further rejig and restructure HYPREP in order to create an environment for enhanced structured and focused delivery of the Project.”

“You are therefore being inaugurated today as Representatives of the Federal Government on the platform of HYPREP and I strongly appeal to you to take this trust bestowed on you with all sense of responsibility and commitment.

“You should see your appointment as a patriotic national duty and a clarion call to service.

“You will be required to promote transparency, propriety and integrity in the operation of HYPREP to ensure optimal and satisfactory delivery of the required services.”

The President also explained that” At its meeting held on 3rd March 2021, the Federal Executive Council approved the award of contracts for six water supply schemes at the total cost of about N6.05 billion to facilitate the provision of potable water to the impacted communities in Ogoniland, in a firm demonstration of its commitment to improving their socio-economic conditions pragmatically.” 

On his part, the chairman of BoT, Mr Mike Nwileaghi, said the inauguration was an indication of the president’s commitment to HYPREP.

“The preponderance of representations of Ogoni in these two boards is a clear indication of the result of the federal government to allow our people own the entire process of the project,” he said.

Also the Minister of Environment, Dr Muhammed Mahmood said the inauguration of the new governing council would go a long way in improving the socio-economic life of the wellbeing of the people of the Ogoni land.

According to Him, the project was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to improve the lives of the Niger Delta region.

Zainab Sa’id