The Project Coordinator of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Ferdinand Giadom said President Muhammadu Buhari will commission one of the mega projects of HYPREP, the Centre of Excellence.
Giadom made the revelation at the 2022 World Environment Day celebration at Bori, the headquarters of Khana Local Government and the traditional headquarters of Ogoni people.
The HYPREP boss, who also represented the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi said that they are doing everything possible to build the Centre of Excellence as a legacy project which is also one of the recommendations of UNEP report, noting that the President will commission the project before leaving office as the design will be presented to the federal executive council soon.
Giadom maintained that HYPREP is vigorously looking into the quick delivery of livelihood programmes that will change the already sad situation of Ogoni people where their land have been contaminate by certain contaminants.
Speaking further, Giadom explained that in a short while medical expert will enter into Ogoni communities to collect blood samples in a view to ascertain the likely ailments prevalent in the area noting that due many years of oil pollution the Ogonis are prone to cancer and other diseases such as anger and infertility among others.
The representative of the Minister of Environment, Giadom used the World Environment Day state that certain contaminants have compromised the lands and rivers of Ogoni and thanked President Buhari for taking a bold step in the remediation of the environment by setting up HYPREP to do the needful.
He promised to rehabilitate existing hospitals in the Gokana, Khana and Eleme LGA s but explained that a new hospital will be built in Tai LGA.
He harp on the provision of national grid to Ogoni land as this will create massive employment and businesses and call for community ownership.
In their good will messages, the Gbenemene of Tai Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Godwin Giniwa thanked president Buhari for listening to Ogoni people promising that all the development will bring new civilisation to Ogoni land.
In his remarked, the House of Assembly member representing Gokana and House Committee Chairman on Environment said the House have domesticated the Climate Change Act and call for support during public hearing.
Earlier, the Chairman of Khana Local Government Council, Thomas Bariere said that the creation of HYPREP came out of a critical circumstances and long suffering of the people of Ogoni and other part of Niger Delta, saying that HYPREP should use the event to protect the environment, but if we fail to protect the earth we don’t have anywhere to go, but the council will help HYPREP to fix the environment.
Chris Newton of Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) also tasked community people to plant economic trees to protect the environment.
The keynote Speaker, Chidi Ibe, a professor ans Fellow of Academy of Science, New York and Nigeria, narrated the long history of oil and its degenerating effect on Africans, especially Ogoni due to pollution.
Ibe charged HYPREP to conduct a comprehensive clean up review.
Highlight of the event was musical presentation and the inauguration of Environment Club of Birabi Memorial Grammar School (BMGS).
Credit: Business Day
