By Egufe Yafugborhi, Port-Harcourt

Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has urged National Assembly (NASS) to repeat earlier oversight visits to Ogoniland, Rivers state, to ascertain profound irregularities in the sluggish execution of remediation contracts of oil impacted sites.

ERA in the latest policy brief unveiled at its General Assembly in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, highlighted “serious managerial and operational problems” hindering proper cleanup of Ogoniland under supervision of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).

Executive Director of ERA/FoEN, Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo, noted that 10 years on, an evaluation of the implementation of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) recommendations on Ogoni cleanup indicates a project still fraught with overwhelming failures.

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Ojo highlighted, “Key organizational, environment, human rights, security, health, and livelihoods performance indicators that were missing to support proper cleanup from the beginning are yet to be met and the quality of environment and livelihoods restoration remains to be seen.

“Our field monitors visited 15 Lots in Phase 1 Batch 1, nine in new Phase 1 Batch of cleanup contracts. You find that contracts awarded since January 2019 for six months’ completion are still running.

“Few pollution sites have been reported completed and certified, some spill sites remain uncompleted, some inactive and abandoned. In sites where work is ongoing, there are poor sanitary conditions.

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“Toxic chemical and products used for containment littered most of the sites, and a stream nearby empties its polluted waters on sites being cleaned in Lot 9, for example.”

For proper cleanup, ERA harped on the need, “For greater transparency and accountability, involvement of professionals and technocrats rather than the political patronage instrument that appointments into HYPREP board and governing council now suggests.

“Expected US$1Billion set fund in five years is due by 2021 and work carried out does not reflect the US$360Million already received by 2020. Had the entire US$1Billion been released? No one is talking.”

“Relevant agencies, independent monitors and NASS should immediately conduct oversight visits to provide lacking supervisory roles to ensure a cleanup delivered as recommended”.

Vanguard News Nigeria