The Hydrocarbons Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has received commendations from leaders and people of Ogoniland for the pragmatic steps it has taken so far to clean up and develop the Ogoni environment and people.
The commendations were made on Friday at the HYPREP Midterm Stakeholders Engagement and Scorecard presentation in Port Harcourt, where the Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, highlighted the achievements of the project since his inauguration two years ago.
He told the gathering that HYPREP has been able to achieve milestones in its core mandates of remediation, livelihood support, mangrove restoration and establishment of a centre of excellence
Zabbey said 1,700 hectares of the oil impacted shoreline has been remediated, 7,000 direct jobs have been created for youths and has stimulated local businesses.
The project coordinator said 10 water stations supplying water to 30 Ogoni communities have been inaugurated, while four major water projects would be completed before the end of the year. “By the end of 2025, 65 – 80 Ogoni communities will have access potable water,” he said, adding that water associations to take ownership of the water projects from HYPREP.
Zabbey also listed the centre of excellence project, the power project at Wiyakara and the Specialist Hospital in Tai which have reached advanced stages of completion as some of the areas that HYPREP has made huge progress on its mandate.
He however said that while HYPREP was celebrating its milestones, he would urge the communities to support the project, which he said they could do by eschewing misinformation, chieftaincy tussles and avoidable litigations and undue requests for services and projects not covered by HYPREP mandate.
Listing some of the achievements of HYPREP in the last two years, the Head of Public Affairs of HYPREP, Mr. Joseph Nafo, said HYPREP has awarded 100 PhD, 300 postgraduate and 200 undergraduate scholarships to Ogoni students; training of 500,000 Ogoni youths and women in its livelihood programs and given 60 small and medium scale businesses with grants.
The President of KAGOTE, the apex socio-political organization of the Ogoni, Hon. Emmanuel Deeya, thanked President Bola Tinubu for listening to Ogoni people and retaining Prof Zabbey as the Project Coordinator of HYPREP; and the Minister of Environment for giving him the congenial atmosphere to work.
He said the journey of HYPREP has just started, and called on the Federal Government to review and increase the funding of HYPREP.
Member of the House of Representatives for Khana/Gokana, Hon. Dumnamene Deekor, urged youths in the communities to protect the water projects and make good use of the starter packs given to them by HYPREP.
The Oneh-Eh Eleme XI, King Philip Obele, called for a minute’s silence for Ogoni people that died while fighting seek justice for the people and their environment.
Former Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Hon. Oji Ngofa, called for sustainability of HYPREP’s projects and programmes.
Former Vice-Chancellor of Rivers State University, Prof. Barineme Fakae, who said, “Today is a good day,” added that he was particularly impressed with the centre of excellence and the remediation projects.
Ogoni women’s leader, Mrs. Priscilla Vikue, said HYPREP has favoured Ogoni mothers, and noted that the special seashells of Ogoni water like the periwinkle and cookies are coming back after the remediation exercises.
