By Tina Amanda
The people of Ogoni have staged a protest to express their displeasure over the removal of Professor Nenibarini Zabbey as the Project Coordinator for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
The protest, held in front of the HYPREP office in Port Harcourt on July 15, 2024, saw the attendance of various Ogoni leaders.
Speaking at the protest ground, the Publicity Secretary Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Comrade Saviour Imeabe, said Ogoni people will decide who is to be the HYPREP Project Coordinator.
“We are here to tell the Nigerian government, the President, and the world that the Ogonis have been marginalized for so long, Ogonis have suffered untold hardship, neglected for so long. This Project Ogoni clean-up exercise is not something we merit from the federal government, it was given to us out of our struggle.
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“The Ogoni struggle introduced HYPREP PROJECT and the money that is being used to run the project is not federal government money. It is Ogoni money so we decide, the Ogoni people have the priority to decide who is to be the project coordinator.
“Mr. President addressed the nation in the new year, on June 12, but he never added the Ogoni problem, to his We are not in support of any non-Ogoni person to be Project Coordinator that is our stand”.
President, of the National Youth Council of Ogoni People, NYCOP, Comrade Barinuazor Emmanuel, said they want peace in Ogoni land while thanking the President for reversing his decision by reinstating Professor Nenibarini Zabbey as HYPREP PC.
“We are here to show our solidarity that Ogoni man must be HYPREP Project Coordinator. We just learned that the President has reversed his decision we want to thank President Ahmed Tinubu for bringing Professor Nenibarini Zabbey back.
“We want to send this as a note of warning that this project is our own project and lives have been sacrificed for it, persons like the late Ken Saro Wiwa and thirteen (13) others. We want peace in Ogoni and we are using this medium to ask all Ogoni youth to return to their various communities and also allow the contractors to resume work.
“This office should be allowed to start operation at this moment if at the end of the day, we have counter information, we will come back here”.
Chairman, Host Communities of HYPREP, Bariarge Goodluck, accused some contractors of being behind the removal of Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, noting that the position of HYPREP Project Coordinator is not political.
‘We have nineteen (19) contractors in Bomu the community I represent, the very Professor Nenibarini Zabbey has done what he should do. We are aware some contractors who feel they have federal connections are the ones behind all these things.
“We want to say that as Ogoni people we will not take it. There is no way you will remove a known Professor who knows his job and bring in one Doctor we do not know where he is coming from.
“It is not a political appointment, the Ogoni people will not accept it. He has done well for the Ogoni people as well as the project. We are supporting him, if they do not want to clean the environment no problem”.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has sacked Olufemi Adekanmbi as the Project Coordinator for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
Adekanmbi’s appointment was announced on Saturday in a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.
A statement by the Presidency on Monday read:
“President Bola Tinubu has approved the reinstatement of Professor Nenibarini Zabbey as the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
“The President reached the decision following a performance review of the HYPREP Project Coordinator and concluded that the Project Coordinator is fit to discharge his functions in accordance with the regulations guiding the execution of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
“By the directive of the President, the reinstatement of the HYPREP Project takes immediate effect”.
