Cleanup: Who can please Ogoni?

When the UNEP came to begin study of Ogoni pollution so as to make recommendations, most of the Ogoni people led by their movement resisted it. It was later allowed (thanks to the governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Magnus Abe).

When the result was released, the Ogoni condemned as not properly addressing the extent of damage and for not providing for compensation to individuals. They said it was a ploy by Shell to come back to Ogoni oil fields.

Ogoni does not want Shell back, they don’t the oil well given to another company, they do not want oil operation to continue, they don’t want it to stop.

Now that cleanup is on, every single move by HYPREP has been resisted and condemned. Factions speak for Ogoni, so nobody speaks when everybody is speaking. They call of change of HYPREP leadership, it is done, no they want total overhaul of HYPREP. What exactly does Ogoni want? Who actually can please Ogoni?

Now, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) says last week’s performance report of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) on the Ogoni cleanup is full of lies. MOSOP held that the cleanup project has failed because its integrity has been hurt by massive corruption and lack of transparency.

President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, made the remarks on Saturday while reacting to claims by HYPREP that it has achieved its mandate in Ogoni by 75 percent. It is however amazing that HYPREP can achieve 75 per cent mandate with less than 30 per cent fund. Does it mean that the $1Bn is over estimated? Will Ogoni project return the balance?

MOSOP said “HYPREP alone sees and grades itself on the cleanup. We, the people, have not seen the water nor have we seen the cleanup” Nsuke said.

He however said MOSOP expected HYPREP to protect the Ogoni people by addressing the issues of compensation for livelihood losses and the exclusion of about 75 percent of contaminated sites which were not captured in the UNEP report.

He said the Ogoni people were disappointed in HYPREP and accused the agency of further worsening the health conditions of the Ogoni people through its present moves to launch community borehole water projects from toxic, poisoned, and contaminated wells.

“In 2014, HYPREP and UNEP called for a total ban on both surface and underground waters in Ogoni after declaring them unsafe for drinking. Now, HYPREP has not even cleaned the surface pollution not to talk about the underground pollution but they are seeking to drill boreholes from the same contaminated sources after receiving at least $800 million cleanup funds” Nsuke said. Has HYPREP received $800m when it is still battling with minor sites, not even medium to large scale pollution.

Nsuke said: “I challenge HYPREP today to produce its plans for the integrated water project if the agency is committed to provide clean water for the people. They have none.”

Raead also: Do not take my calmness for granted, Fubara warns stakeholders

“If you pay 1 million Ogonis N1m each, it will amount to N1trillion which is less than $1-2 billion. HYPREP has access to $1billion and is unable to clean surface pollution and provide clean water. That is ridiculous and extremely shameful,” the MOSOP president said.

This seems to be the crux of the matter. Ogoni people simply want cash compensation to every Ogoni person. Any amount of cleanup may be scratching the matter on the back.

Instead, every critic is accusing those in charge of siphoning money away, whereas the HYPREP officials say release of funds from the $1Bn is too strict. Nobody knows where the truth lies, but cash is at the heart of the disgruntlement.

Nsuke called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to overhaul the management and operations of HYPREP by ensuring the completion of the financial audit ordered by former president Muhammadu Buhari.

He said the inaction of the government has further worsened the financial recklessness in HYPREP.