Reps Seek More Funds to Complete Ogoni Cleanup Projects

The House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities has called for increased funding for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to enable it to complete outstanding projects under the Ogoni cleanup programme in Rivers State.

The committee, led by its Chairman, Mr Dumnamene Dekor, made the call on Thursday after a two-day oversight visit to selected project sites in Ogoniland.

Dekor said the funds initially provided for the cleanup had been utilised, adding that implementation had progressed beyond the level originally anticipated. He, however, stressed that additional resources were required to complete the remaining work and sustain the intervention.

He urged all stakeholders responsible for financing the programme to provide the necessary support, noting that some of the more complex sites were yet to commence remediation.

The lawmaker also called on oil industry stakeholders, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and Renaissance Africa Energy Company, formerly associated with Shell’s local operations, to make further contributions towards the cleanup.

He said the initial funding should be regarded as a take-off grant, adding that substantially more money would be needed to complete the exercise.

Dekor disclosed that the committee had initiated a bill seeking to extend the cleanup programme to other oil-polluted communities across the Niger Delta.

He said the proposed legislation was being developed with the involvement of HYPREP, the Federal Ministry of Environment and other relevant stakeholders, given the widespread environmental challenges affecting oil-producing communities.

The committee chairman commended HYPREP for its efforts and said the projects inspected during the visit were more than 80 per cent complete.

He also praised the agency’s skills-development programmes for Ogoni youths, noting that about 2,400 young people had been listed among those who had received specialised training.

According to him, the training would equip beneficiaries with skills that could provide employment opportunities locally and internationally.

HYPREP Project Coordinator, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, said the agency had established more than 120 project sites across various areas of intervention in Ogoniland.

He said the projects covered environmental remediation, shoreline cleanup, potable water provision, hospital upgrades, job creation and skills acquisition programmes for youths and women.

Zabbey welcomed the lawmakers’ visit, saying it would enable them to assess the projects directly and make informed recommendations on areas requiring improvement.

The Ogoni cleanup programme follows recommendations from a 2011 assessment by the United Nations Environment Programme, which documented extensive oil contamination and called for a long-term environmental restoration effort.

The renewed funding appeal highlights the financial demands of completing the remediation exercise and the need for sustained contributions to address the environmental damage affecting Ogoniland.