We Have Achieved Accelerated Progress In Ogoni Land – HYPREP Says

BY NGOZI NWANKWO, ABUJA – The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), has said that it has recorded huge success in executing its mandates in Ogoniland, and attributed the success to the Ogoni Stakeholders’ support.

Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, who stated this at a stakeholders’ engagement forum with Ogoni key stakeholders in Port Harcourt, said the Project has performed well in different areas.

He said the areas included; 75% completion of restoration of 560 ha of oil-degraded mangroves, with over 1 million mangroves planted, 20% completion rate recorded for shoreline remediation while substantial advancement has been recorded in the land remediation-where there are interventions in soil and ground water and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER), hitting 70% completion.

Zabbey also said the Ogoni Specialist Hospital, Buan Cottage Hospital, and the Ogoni Power Project are all progressing steadily, adding that with the remediation of land and shorelines, more areas are being freed up for farming, fishing and other productive uses.

He further said that the Project was in talks with the African Development Bank to establish an Agro-processing hub in Ogoni just as he reaffirmed the Project’s commitment to sustaining access to clean water in order to enhance public health and well-being of the Ogoniland.

In the words of Zabbey; “Along side the other water schemes in the Phase 1 contracts, the Project is embarking on another 14 schemes that will cover over 68 Ogoni communities. Already, two water stations have been commissioned in Bomu and Kporghor in Gokana and Tai LGAs respectively”.

He also said that the Project has strengthened its operations and monitoring and evaluation framework for optimal development impact by creating a Technical Coordination Committee, Remediation Documentation Review Committee and Milestones Committee with members drawn from post-UNEP consultants, SPDC and Civil Society Organizations.

“We achieve value for money and sustain stakeholders’ confidence in our ability to deliver on our mandate, address bottlenecks and interventions meet high standards of impact and sustainability.

“The Project has created over 7000 both direct and indirect jobs and prioritizing human capacity development as evident in the training of 5000 youths and women in 20 skill sets and other strategic workshops,” he said.

Zabbey maintained that HYPREP’s achievements underscore the Federal government’s commitment to restoring the Ogoni Environment and enabling sustainable development, while to stakeholders to continue play their roles actively and constructively.

He said; “Your contributions, vigilance and constructive engagement are invaluable for overcoming challenges and achieving shared objectives. HYPREP cannot succeed in isolation, the active participation of Ogoni communities, traditional institutions, and all other parties in a constructive manner is fundamental to the success of this transformative initiative”.

The stakeholders who were drawn from different socio strata of Ogoni, commended HYPREP for the achievement so far, and called for project acceleration and increased community ownership and participation.