The Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement to President Bola Tinubu, South-South, Hon. Gift Johnbull, has called for diverse stakeholders to collaborate to ensure that the purpose of the Ogoni cleanup is fully actualized.
She called for each stakeholder to bring their unique perspective, expertise, and resources to help in actualizing the purpose of the project launched since 2011 for the remediation of Ogoniland from decades of oil pollution.
Johnbull made the call during a one-day Ogoni Cleanup Stakeholders Roundtable Meeting held at the weekend in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
She explained that the roundtable from inception was not planned to be one of those usual get-togethers, for we want to drive the most minimal change. Let us focus on the progress and impact that this meeting can have on the development of our community.
“It is a platform for genuine dialogue and a catalyst for change. We must look beyond mere promises; our focus must be on empowerment, environmental remediation, and fostering a mindset of responsibility and ownership amongst all stakeholders.
“As recommended by the President, it is crucial that we come together as diverse stakeholders, each bringing a unique perspective, expertise, and resources to collaborate in ensuring that the purpose of the Ogoni cleanup is fully actualized,” she stated.
She disclosed that the Federal Government would assess the ongoing cleanup to know the extent of its impact on the lives and livelihoods of the people of Ogoni and that the government promised that it would give due attention to addressing the challenges and bottlenecks affecting the development of the oil and gas-rich Ogoni ethnic nationality in Rivers State.
Johnbull said the meeting, codenamed ‘Na my Area, Na my Country: Climate Resilience and Adaptation in South-South Nigeria’, was an initiative in President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda that is aimed at bringing the government closer to the people.
The SSA stated that she has been commissioned to visit the region to ensure that the renewed agenda is perfected in all the communities, adding that further engagements would ensure that all Ogonis are carried along in the renewed hope agenda of the president.
According to her, the focus was on inclusion and collaboration to ensure lasting peace and development in the area, noting that the cleanup is expected to affect the lives and livelihoods of the Ogoni people positively.
Johnbull said, “This initiative is to ensure that the Renewed Hope agenda is actualized in every village, creek, community, and city in the South-South states.
“We are here to discuss and evaluate significant empowerment initiatives, such as environmental remediation and all forms of life and livelihood improvement, that will have a lasting impact on the lives of the Ogoni people.
“However, there is a need to weigh in on our progress thus far and assess the impact of the Ogoni Clean Up as it relates to the improvement of the lives and livelihood of the Ogoni people.
She added, “We will address the challenges and bottlenecks that may have hindered or slowed down progress if there are any that will be discussed here today. The President has established robust governance frameworks and accountability mechanisms to ensure transparency, effective resource allocation, and meaningful community involvement in the clean-up process.”
Speaking at the programme, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, stated that the implementation of the remediation of the Ogoni environment was going on smoothly, adding that the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, had certified 48 of the sample sites remediated to be free of hydrocarbon pollution.
Zabbey said, “Today, the Ogoni cleanup is going on seriously. We are taking seriously environmental remediation, livelihood support, the provision of water, and strengthening the health system. As of today, we have planted 2650 seedlings of mangroves.
“One of the targets of the cleanup is to build the capacity of our youth. We will support youth to actualize their potential in life. We recently trained 300 graduates and undergraduates in proposal writing.”
Also speaking, the Gbenemene Bangha Kingdom’s His Royal Majesty, King Suanu Baridam, advised the Presidency to give more powers to the HYPREP Project Coordinator to be able to make decisions on certain levels of the project, adding that the overdependence on Abuja for every minor expenditure was affecting the project.
He stressed that the Ogoni cleanup process remained important to “us in our lives, and it is very important that our environment is properly cleaned.”.
“If we are talking about the cleanup of the Ogoni, we should also talk about the betterment of the people. We should also talk about the people who are here who have suffered longtime deprivation and longtime suffering from their economic activities.
“It will be very improper that even if the project seems to say everything is well, for me, I think things are not going well. One of the things we are not comfortable with is that the project manager cannot run away from here to Abuja for every approval. It is not acceptable. He should have the power to approve certain things that are here,” he stated.
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