By Emma Obe
Rivers State governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has said that he has been informed by plans of the Federal government to take over six Rivers State government-owned water projects in Ogoniland for rehabilitation.
The Governor said this when the Minister of Environment, Dr. Mahmood Abubakar, and the new Board of Trustees of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Programme (HYPREP) paid him a courtesy call in Port Harcourt.
Wike said though his government was ready to partner with the Federal Government to improve the livelihood of Ogoni people, it was imperative that the livelihood component of the United Nations Environment Protection (UNEP) Report for the people of Ogoni should not be politicized.
“Whatever support you think the state can render, I will partner with you because at the end of the day it is in the interest of our people,” Wike said.
He pointed out that including names of people not from Eleme, Tai, Gokana and Khana Local Government Areas would not be in the interest of the Ogoni people who have suffered from the pollution of their environment.
He said, “There should be a way to crosscheck these names whether they’re really from the area. Everything should not be politicized,” and advised the award of clean up contracts to competent Ogoni contractors as a means of empowering them and boosting local economies of the areas.
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The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on March 3rd, 2021 approved the rehabilitation of water projects in the four local government areas of Ogoni at N6.4 billion. The projects are located at Alesa, Bori and Terrabo.
The Minister of Environment, who said he was in the state to flag off the project, said the rehabilitation will involve six water projects in Ogoniland
“We have chosen to join the world on this special day to flag off the water scheme in Ogoni. The handover of the six (6) contracts today, is the first phase of our water provision program. The second phase that will soon follow will be the construction of eight new water schemes to other communities not captured in Phase 1. This again is another opportunity that will create more jobs and increase economic activities in the communities.”
The minister explained that in order to improve people’s livelihood and discourage the youths from engaging in criminal activities such as illegal refining, the Federal Government has launched a scheme to empower 5000 youths in Ogoni.
