The Honourable Minister of Environment and Chairman of the Governing Council, Mallam Balarabe Abbas Lawal has disclosed that the provision of potable water by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) is instructive as it is opening the doors to improved health, and enhanced quality of life and brighter future for Ogoni Communities.
Honourable Abbas Lawal, spoke last Friday at the commissioning of HYPREP water schemes in Bomu, Gokana LGA and Kporghor, Tai LGA, Rivers State. He reiterated the Federal Government’s steadfastness to the environmental remediation and sustainable development of Ogoniland, noting that the water facilities commissioned “are part of a larger, integrated approach to environmental remediation and sustainable development”
Conveying the commendation of President Ahmed Tinubu to the Ogoni people for their patience, resilience and cooperation , the minister urged the communities to safeguard and ensure optimal usage of the facilities. He assured that “government will continue to actively engage with the Ogoni communities, hold consultations, incorporate community feedback and ensure that the voices of Ogoni people are heard and respected”
Similarly, the Hon. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and member of the HYPREP Governing Council also expressed the commitment of the Federal Government to the successful implementation of the Ogoni Clean up programme, noting that it will address the environmental challenges in the Niger Delta.
Earlier the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey stated that the event signalled the new spirit of accelerating the Ogoni Clean up in alignment with Priority 3, Deliverable 3 of the Renewed Hope Agenda which emphasizes the importance of environmental sustainability and community empowerment as critical pillars for sustainable development.
Professor Zabbey, while listing the significant milestones the Project has recorded in the various thematic areas of land and shoreline remediation, strengthening of healthcare facilities, construction of the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER), Ogoni Specialist Hospital, Buan Cottage Hospital and training of 5,000 youths in the Livelihood programme, added that the Project is also enhancing stakeholders engagement strategies to ensure that the voices and needs of the Ogoni people are at the forefront of HYPREP’s initiatives.
On HYPREP’s efforts on mangroves conservation and restoration, the Project Coordinator announced that over 514,000 mangrove seedlings have been planted.
The event which coincided with the International Mangroves Day had the Honourable Minister of Environment together with his Niger Delta Affairs counterpart and other members of GC plant mangroves seedlings at the Bomu Creek, Gokana LGA.
Part of the Honourable Minister’s itineraries on the two day visit were; the issuing of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Levels 1&2 certificates to 2500 trained community workers, launching and distribution of pilot cookstoves to Ogoni women to discourage the use of mangroves for fuel.
The Cookstove Project is a strategic HYPREP initiative designed to discourage the cutting down of mangroves and reduce reliance on mangroves for fuel, thereby preserving our precious ecosystems. This initiative also aligns with the National Clean Cooking Policy to promote sustainable and clean cooking practices, as recently highlighted by the Honourable Minister of Environment. By adopting a cleaner and more efficient cooking system, HYPREP is taking a significant step towards reducing environmental degradation and promoting sustainable living practices, which support the health and well-being of Ogoni women and families. Others were the unveiling of the Growcoon, an initiative to discourage the use of single use plastics for mangrove planting and the visit to ongoing HYPREP project sites which include the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER), Buan Water Scheme, Ogoni Specialist Hospital and the barricaded remediation site in Ogale, Eleme LGA.
