The President of Ogoni Liberation Initiative (OLI), a civil society group, Dr. Douglas Fabeke, has accused the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, of allegedly frustrating the ongoing Ogoni environmental cleanup through delays in the payment of contractors and the alleged mismanagement of funds.
Fabeke made the accusation known to our correspondent on Thursday and claimed that many contractors engaged in the cleanup had abandoned their projects due to prolonged non-payment.
He further alleged that about 100 million dollars recently released for contractor payments had instead been placed in fixed deposits across five commercial banks, rather than being disbursed for the execution of remediation projects.
He called on the Minister of Environment to publicly explain the handling of the funds and provide details of their management.
The OLI leader also alleged that more than ₦136 billion had been distributed across various banks and urged the Federal Government to ensure transparency in the administration of funds dedicated to the Ogoni cleanup programme.
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He demanded the immediate payment of contractors to enable them to return to project sites and continue remediation work in polluted communities.
Fabeke warned that if the funds were not released to contractors, he would lead a protest in Abuja and petition the financial institutions allegedly involved.
He also called on the Federal Government to take urgent action to prevent the Ogoni cleanup from becoming, in his words, “another avenue for looting,” stressing that many communities continue to suffer from environmental pollution and its socio-economic consequences.
He further warned that the matter could be taken before the international community if the concerns raised were not addressed.
