The Project Coordinator of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Ferdinand Giadom has said they were ready to award the next round of contract that would clean the shoreline of Ogoni environment.
Giadom gave the indication at an Ogoni stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The HYPREP boss explained that the Federal Executive Council has also approved the building of Centre of Excellence as part of those key ideas enshrined in the UNEP Report.
He said that they were ready to deliver on all her key mandates, noting that the stakeholders’ meeting was necessary to share idea on the next line of action, especially as it borders on briefing the Ogoni people who are beneficiary of the project, saying that the meeting focused on shoreline clean up and the development of strategic framework.
He called on stakeholders to contribute positively through their wealth of experience and commitment.
The environmentalist also disclosed that the work include characterisation to determine how pollution has contaminated the Ogoni environment and how it could be tackled scientifically through collection of soil samples to laboratories for analysis.
Explaining further, Giadom noted that over 120 sites were recommended for further studies as remediation work are on-going on some of the sites.
The geologist, who was part of the United Nation Environmental Programme that conducted the UNEP Report, told Ogoni people that procurement processes for remediation would start in September with mangrove remediation which is known as the complex sites.
Giadom stressed that the pilot shoreline remediation will cover 250 meters, while calling on the royal fathers, youths and all to embrace the new process on board.
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In his good will message, Vincent Nwabueze of Shell Petroleum Development Company SPDC, said as funders of the project, the meeting was a good step in fulfilling the clean up of the impacted sites in Ogoniland.
He also said that the area of clean up also include means of livelihood, health check, water provision among others, and that the framework would lead the people to the promised land.
Igo Weli also of the SPCD tasked both HYPREP and community people to come together to overcome all the challenges related to the clean up project.
In his contribution, Idris Musa of NOSDRA said that their mandate as established by NOSDRA 2006 Act, is to monitor and evaluate clean up sites and that oil spills need not to be man made.
Musa emphasised that the agency work with global standard even as the cleanup approach complex sites.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Rivers State, represented by Emmanuel Fienemika, who is a Director of Inspectorate and Enforcement commended HYPREP for the meeting and expressed the optimism that the cleanup will be done properly.
In his contribution, UNEP representative thanked HYPREP for inclusive event as it would encourage transparency, which is far from the manner contracts are been handled in the past.
He also described Ferdinand Giadom as a round peg in a round hole for the job as the project coordinator.
He said it was his belief that the current clean up will follow guidelines and international standard, while tasking stakeholders to be vigilant and work in synergy with HYPREP to produce fruitful result.
The workshop tagged, ‘Workshop on Detailed Site Characterisation, Remediation Strategies and Framework Development was a two-day meeting with stakeholders.
Highlights of the event was the presentation by Erich Gundlach of Bodo Remediation and Re-vegetation Project, Gideon Abu, a professor, from the Department of Microbiology, University of Port Harcourt.
