NYCOP stated that over 25 Contractors who were awarded the contracts and paid 30 percent mobilisation of the contract sum for the clean-up, remediation and restoration of Ogoni Communities project that has timeline, had all absconded with the Ogoni money.
The National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP), the apex socio-cultural youth group of the Ogoni People has given the Nigerian government seven days notice to revoke the performance bond and the advanced payment guarantee of failed contractors involved in the clean-up, remediation and restoration of Ogoni Communities.
This was contained in a letter to the Minister of Environment, Mr Balarabe Lawal, and copied to President Bola Tinubu, Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Others are; the Speaker House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr. Ola Olukoyede, Former MOSOP President, & Non-Executive Director of NNPC Board, Barr. Ledum Mitee and HYPREP Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey.
The apex socio-cultural youth group of the Ogoni People, reiterated the need for contractors' accountability, regretting that they had been watching how their future was being threatened by the non-implementation of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) awarded contracts.
NYCOP stated that over 25 Contractors who were awarded the contracts and paid 30 percent mobilisation of the contract sum for the clean-up, remediation and restoration of Ogoni Communities project that has timeline, had all absconded with the Ogoni money.
The group explained that the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), after an independent Scientific Study of Ogoni Communities impacted by crude oil spills, have stated in their report that it would take between 25-30 years to clean, remediate and restore Ogoni communities.
It noted that time is of the essence in the execution of these projects, as the initiative would not end in Ogoni but would also spread to other parts of the Niger Delta, adding that their delays are also eating into the Ogoni time for an effective restoration.
The letter partly read: "It is now one year since remediation sites were handed over to contractors at the Palace of HRH Bebe Okpabi, in the Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State; and were commissioned to carry out remediation on allotted sites for 2 years. From our keen observations, only about 2% of the so awarded contractors have effectively commenced work. For the chunk of 98%, they are either reluctant, unwilling or not mobilized to site at all.
"We understand that the prequalification of contractors and conditions for contract awards demanded for experiences and competency in the execution of similar jobs, subject to the verification of such acclaims before any contract is awarded; more so, to mega projects such as the Ogoni Cleanup but there is seemingly no such action taken before the contracts were awarded.
"We hereby call for the revocation of their Sureties, Performance Bonds and Advance Payment Guarantee (APG) within 7 Days of this publication and further mandate HYPREP to embark on de-listing and de-qualification of these contractors from any further contracts no matter the magnitude, as they have exhibited gross incompetence in the discharge of assigned duties.
"We are also seizing this medium to request that the contractors for the Ogoni Power Project, Shoreline Protection and Water should without any further delays, mobilize to site within this given timeframe of 7 days, contrary to this, their business names shall be reeled out and presented to the Economic Financial and Crime Commission (EFCC) for their necessary actions.
"It would be worthy to mention that the below Contractors have not in any form shown seriousness neither have they made any progress despite the 30% initial mobilization sum they received for the awarded contracts:
1. LOT 001 Beachstone Limited
2. LOT 002 Avondale Services and Supplies Limited
3. LOT 003 Earthpro Unique Integrated Ltd
4. LOT 005 Ecosafe Services Ltd
5. LOT 006 Icren Services Limited
6. LOT 007 Geokooy Environmental Services Ltd
7. LOT 008 Cagewox Dot Net Ltd
8. LOT 009 Foxtrot O&G Company Nigeria Ltd
9. LOT 011 Stefanutti Stocks Hapel Ltd
10. LOT 012 Fibow Petroleum Environmental Engineering Consult Ltd
11. LOT 016B Esinos Resources International Ltd
12. LOT 017 Craneburg Construction Company Ltd
13. LOT 018 Katech Construction Co. Ltd
14. LOT 019 Jezreel Engineering Services Limited
15. LOT 020 Welltime Ltd
16. LOT 020B Chayoobi Nig Ltd
17. LOT 021 Satel Construction Nig. Ltd
18. LOT 022 Duluidas Nig. Ltd
19. LOT 023 Acti & Air Power
20. LOT 027 Transcend Construction Ltd
21. LOT 028 Toledo Engineering Ltd
22. LOT 029 Bussdor & Comp Ltd
23. LOT 030 Thaworld Global Resources Ltd
24. LOT 031 Telmac Eng ineering Ltd
25. LOT 033 Lapideo Multi Services Ltd
26. LOT 034 ZGM Investment Group of Companies Ltd
27. LOT 035 Engineering Seven Integrated Konsult Ltd
28. LOT 037 Shearforce Nig Ltd
"By the veto and social license given to us to speak for and on behalf of the Ogoni Youths to whose future is being threatened and toiled with, we shall be considering them a persona non grata in Ogoni if they do not swing into action within the given 7 days ultimatum and would demand that the EFCC go after them and recover these public funds.
"We call on the Hon. Minister of Environment Mallam Balarabe Abbas Lawal and the Project Coordinator of HYPREP Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, who though, were not part of the process when these contracts were awarded, to carry out thorough investigation and support us in our drive to recover an approximate Eighty Billion Naira (N80bn) only of Ogoni funds, revoke and call back their performance bond and APG in order to recover the 30% sum paid to these contractors which have been in their custody for about a year without any implementation.
"NYCOP as the voice of the youths would not rest on its oars until the right thing is done in Ogoni. Our futures cannot be continuously mortgaged by non-Ogonis while we sit idle with our arms folded and continue to wallow in abject poverty and billions of supposed Ogoni Naira is flying from the community without any meaningful achievement. The UNEP-Ogoni issue is a case of a life-threating situation to which our brothers, parents and forebears paid the supreme prize with their blood, therefore cannot be undermined.
"Enough is enough! Should we not see any remarkable changes or improvement as in the reaction by these contractors within 7 days, a massive protest would be carried out assuredly."
The letter was jointly signed by its President and Secretary General, Barinuazor Emmanuel and Fred Mene Elijah.