The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency and the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project have strengthened collaboration to meet the United Nations Environment Programme deadline for the cleanup of Ogoniland in Rivers State.
The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, NOSDRA, Chukwuemeka Woke, while speaking in Abuja at a familiarisation visit by HYPREP, stated that the collaboration aims to curb any bottleneck to the actualisation of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project.
“In line with Mr President’s new agenda, we decided to meet and see how we can collaborate and ensure a very smooth and free operation of HYPREP.
“We know that the programme has a timeline. I want to ensure that our super-fast free roads do not in any way hinder the operations of the projects. That is why we are here.
“We have discussed extensively on the mode of operations and how to improve on how we have been relating before. And I have to assure you that the meeting was very cordial and very successful,” he stated.
The Project Coordinator, HYPREP, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, said the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu prioritises the acceleration of the Ogoni cleanup, hence the familarisation with NOSDRA.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda prioritises accelerating the Ogoni cleanup. So we cannot do that without the active support of NOSDRA. So we have come to familarise with the new DG of NOSDRA and to encourage them to support us to accelerate the Ogoni clean-up.”
Zabbey explained that HYPEP has done some remediation projects which include land remediation, shoreline cleanup, and restoration of oil-degraded mangroves.
“We are also providing potable water for the Ogoni people. So we have 14 schemes we are constructing that will provide potable water to 68 communities in Ogoni land. We are also strengthening health systems in Ogoni.
“We are building the Ogoni Hospital. We are building the Ogoni Specialist Hospital. We are also building the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration,” he said.
