- Alleges that unprofessional, corrupt practices going on
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), has berated
what it called "unprofessional and corrupt" clean-up exercise of Ogoni
land by the federal government.
MOSOP said the fundamental issues as recommended by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) before the commencement of the exercise
were not followed.
While accusing the governing council of Hydro-Carbon Pollution
Restoration Project (HYPREP), the firm handling the clean-up of
corruption and fraudulent practices, the group noted that the
construction of a centre of excellence and integrated contaminated
soil management centre, provision of potable water in communities,
establishment of health registry and provision of alternative
livelihood as parts of the recommendations were jettisoned.
While faulting the remediation method employed by the Hydrocarbon
Pollution Remediation Programme as recommended by the UNEP report,
MOSOP called for the immediate dissolution of the agency’s governing
council and demanded a probe into HYPREP’s activities.
Speaking with SaharaReporters on the clean-up of Ogoni, the President
of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, said, "The federal government's clean-up of
Ogoni land fell short of the recommendations made by UNEP that there
should be an alternative source of potable drinking water among
others.
"But all the recommendations were not followed and as I talk to you
today, in Gokana land, the firm was not allowed into the area to carry
out the exercise because of failure to adhere strictly to the
recommendations. As a people, we have lost total confidence in what is
happening concerning the clean-up of the land following the corrupt
and sharp practices by the firm."
He said further, "Instead of these contracting firms to use the monies
they have been paid for the purpose of which it was meant, the monies
were diverted and used to prosecute the 2019 general elections. So as
far as we are concerned, the Ogoni clean-up exercise has complicated
the problems of our people rather than solving them.
"We can't say what they are doing. Truly speaking, we do not have
credible confidence in the whole process and we have called for the
dissolution of the programme. There's a serious compromise in all the
activities and the composition of the governing council and we have
called for a new council. Nothing is going on now. Everything is
shrouded in secrecy and we don't know what is going on right now."
Nsuke added that HYPREP had failed to fulfil its mandate.
“It is no longer news that HYPREP, is the agency established as it
were specifically for Ogoni clean-up pursuant to the UNEP
recommendations, part of which was to carry out emergency measures
like the construction of a centre of excellence and integrated
contaminated soil management centre, provision of potable water in
communities, establishment of health registry and provision of
alternative livelihood for those involved in artisan refining and we
talk nothing, I repeat, has been done," the MOSOP leader claimed.