A group, Ogoni Peoples Assembly (OPA), has disclosed that the Ogonis would resist any plan to hijack the water and remediation projects in the ongoing Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) by contract awards that did not bestow right of the first choice on Ogoniland.
It called on the Minister of Environment to consider indigenous contractors in the execution of the remediation projects.
At a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the leader of the group, Reverend Tom Probel Williams, said equity demanded that the indigenous Ogonis should head the Community, Media and Communications Unit of the HYPREP, noting that it is important that water projects are awarded to qualified Ogoni owned firms.
According to him, “Ogoni parades the most experienced pool of vendors to deliver world-class remediation as evidenced in the leading companies finishing first and tops in the last two batches of HYPREP contract awards.
“It is only fair to allow 60 per cent Ogoni and 40 per cent non-Ogoni quota system in all contract awards in HYPREP. It is on record that in March 2021, Ogonis woke up to see that the immediate past Minister of Environment, Dr Muhammad Mahmood, had awarded six water contracts worth over N6 billion and only one was given to an Ogoni contractor.
“We’re just hearing that this current Minister of Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, is about awarding 14 contracts without an Ogoni contractor even when we have several over-qualified companies. We will resist any such move vehemently.
“It should be noted that this clean-up project is a product of a very costly struggle that took the lives of over 2000 Ogoni people including Ken Saro-Wiwa. The issue of domestication, local content and capacity building is dear to our hearts and we will pursue and ensure it. Our heroes won’t die in vain.
“OPA has reasons to question the beneficiation index of the water rehabilitation project if the booster stations can’t drive business hubs around the proximity of the project and external economics such as water bottling factories are not factored in to ensure sustainable jobs,” he added.
The group also called for the smooth take-off of the University of Environment, Saakpenwa; the relocation of the HYPREP office to Bori among other projects.
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