Elders in Ogoni ethnic nationality in Rivers State, under the umbrella of Gbo Kabaari Ogoni, has called on the federal government to implement the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) before the commencement of proper cleanup of the impacted Ogoni environment.
According to them, HYPREP has not implemented some of the UNEP Report recommendations which include, provision of adequate sources of drinking water to the affected people and posting signs in areas where hydrocarbons were observed on surface water, warning people not to fish, swim or bathe in those areas; amongst others.
The elders while addressing a press conference in Port Harcourt on Monday said through their chairman, Senator Bennett Birabi, that before the commencement of the clean up proper, there was the need for the setting up of an integrated contaminated soil management centre comprising an incinerator, thermal unit, soil washing unit and a contaminated water treatment unit, based on the recommendations of the UNEP Report.
He said, “During the said flag-off of Ogoni clean up exercise, the federal government stated that the implementation of the Report will be done holistically and in a manner that ensures transparency, accountability, genuine partnership and proper representation of the people at the grassroots as well as guarantee job creation for young people and that agro-allied industries required for processing agricultural produce will be put in place.
“More than two years after the flag-off and the laudable assurances given, we are concerned that the manner and processes for the implementation of the recommendations of the UNEP Report run completely counter to the assurances given by the federal government and more importantly, the very recommendations of the Report.
“In the recommendation pages of the Report, the point was stressed that ‘while the overall environmental situation in Ogoniland needs urgent and focused attention, before cleaning up the existing pollution and restoring the environment,’ UNEP identified a number of emergency public health and other fundamental measures that must be first addressed”
