Stakeholders support and ownership of the Clean-up Project being carried out by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) are key to the effective and successful implementation of the Project’s deliverables in Ogoni.
This position was re-echoed at the Project Review Meeting organized by HYPREP for Ogoni key stakeholders which was held on Tuesday May 28, 2024 in Port Harcourt. The meeting provided stakeholders the status update on the achievements recorded in the various thematic areas of the Project including land/shoreline remediation, mangrove restoration, sustainable livelihoods, potable water, public health (Ogoni Specialist/Buan Cottage Hospital), Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER), Ogoni Power Project among others.
Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey at the meeting, reiterated the commitment of the Federal government to the accelerated implementation of the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Assessment Report on Ogoniland which is one of the key deliverables of the Renewed Hope Agenda, thus completing all ongoing projects, remediating the complex sites, continuous and transparent community engagement and delivering tangible benefits that improve daily lives. The PC noted that the true measure of the HYPREP success lies in the socio-ecological impact of the Project’s efforts on the lives of the Ogoni people.
Prof Zabbey enjoined stakeholders and leaders of various interest groups in Ogoni to continue to engage the Project “positively, prioritize unity over division, community benefits over self-interest” while working together towards “realizing a cleaner, healthier and prosperous Ogoni”
Stakeholders at the meeting who were drawn from the political, traditional, elite, academic, religious, youth and socio-cultural groups in Ogoni commended the Project Coordinator for his concerted commitment to the Clean-up Project and called for the implementation of more projects and programmes that will benefit the people.
