By Samuel Oyadongha & Chris Ochayi

Yenagoa—Bayelsa State Government has slammed the Federal Government and multinational oil companies operating in the Niger Delta region over non-implementation of the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programmes, UNEP’s report on Ogoni areas and remediation of areas devastated in the region.

This is even as the Federal Government has scheduled a meeting with Ogoni elders and community leaders as part of moves to commence implementation of the report.

The Bayelsa government, through the state Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Inuiro Wills, said though the release of UNEP report was backed with the inauguration of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project, HYPREP, by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources in 2012, the lack of political will and failure of the Federal Government, its agencies and the oil multinationals to start the process of implementation puts the oil communities in jeopardy.

Wills in a statement in Yenagoa to mark the third anniversary of the release of the UNEP report, said though Governor Seriake Dickson had tried to draw the attention of the world to the rising environmental terrorism through oil exploration and devastation, the non-implementation of the report had placed a heavy burden on the state government.

He said: “The rigorous scientific study along with the ensuing report and recommendations by UNEP, the leading global environmental body, on the effects of 50 years’ continuous oil pollution in Ogoniland represented a template for application or replication across hydrocarbon host communities in the country.

“In Bayelsa State, the scourge of oil-based environmental degradation is in its worst manifestation, earning Nigeria and the Niger Delta the tragic distinction of being the oil pollution capital of the world.”

FG wakes up

Meanwhile, following the protests trailing delay in implementation of the report, the Federal Government has commenced moves to implement it.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Danladi Kifasi, it was gathered, has been mandated to open dialogue with the Ogoni elders and community leaders of Rivers State, Friday.

The meeting is scheduled to hold in Bori, Ogoni, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The meeting was earlier scheduled to hold today, but was rescheduled.

A statement by Mr. Kingsley Agha, Director, Information (Press and Public Relations) in the ministry, said: “The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, has mandated the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Danladi Kifasi, to open dialogue with the Ogoni people of Rivers State to fashion out modalities for the implementation of the UNEP report on Ogoniland.”