The House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities has assured that the Federal Government will release its counterpart funding for the Ogoni clean-up project.
This assurance follows concerns that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, has not contributed its share of the funds, as required by the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, report since the project began in 2016.
Committee Chairman Dumnamene Dekor provided this assurance on Thursday during an oversight visit to various Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, sites in Ogoniland, including remediation sites, water projects, and health facilities.
Dekor promised that the committee would collaborate with the HYPREP Board of Trustees and NNPCL to ensure the timely release of funds for the expedited clean-up of Ogoniland.
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While recognizing existing challenges, Dekor praised the progress achieved thus far and urged the administration to enhance efforts, especially in providing water to the affected communities.
Dekor said, “We encourage them and also hope that they will not see this as a pat on their back, because we have also spotted gaps.
“There are some contractors that may have to do some explanations, there are others that need to be commended at the end of the exercise.
“Generally I think what we see conforms with what we had expected. In fact in some cases we did not believe that we would get this far.”
He assured that NNPCL will fulfill its obligation by providing funds for the trench, as it is their responsibility to address the deprivation and environmental degradation suffered by the people.
“I can assure you any party that fails in their responsibility to make sure that this project is driven to conclusion will have to pay such funds.
“The last time I spoke with the chairman of the HYPREP Board of Trustees, at the commissioning of the Bomu water project we are trying to work on the possibility of looking at what is being owed and sources where we can generate some more revenue.
“The monies that were earmarked for this project was like a take off grant and it is almost completely spent. So, we are also going to work with them to ensure that funds are provided.
“But I can assure you that NNPCL, they will make provision for the trench that belongs to them because it is what they owe the people and they will have to.”
Dekor urged Ogoni youths to reject social vices and support the ongoing cleanup efforts in the region.
Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, disclosed that HYPREP is currently managing over 130 projects in the region, encompassing remediation, shoreline cleanup, and mangrove restoration.
