Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The Governing Council of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has pledged to tackle challenges slowing the implementation of the Ogoni oil spill clean-up, remediation and restoration exercise.
The council gave the assurance on Wednesday following an inspection tour of remediation and water projects in the affected Ogoni communities in Rivers State.
Leading the inspection team, Prof. Nwibere Barinedum Michael said the council had identified funding, flooding and accessibility as some of the major challenges affecting the timely execution of projects across the area.
Speaking with journalists after inspecting the Centre of Excellence at Gokana, Nwibere said the funding challenge was resolved following the approval and release of funds by the Federal Government.
He explained that delays experienced by some contractors were not deliberate but resulted from the procedures guiding access to funds for the project.
“Most of the projects you see now slowed down a bit. It’s not because it was any deliberate fault of anybody. Remember, this is not an agency of government; this is a project that has timelines and we have procedures, rules and regulations that guide the way funds are being accessed,” he said.
According to him, the Governing Council had acted promptly by approving the funding request submitted by the Project Coordination Office (PCO), after which the request went through the required government procedures.
“As we speak now, to the glory of God and service to humanity, I think the funds are in now,” he said.
Nwibere added that the council would consider increasing funding for some projects where necessary, while also facilitating approval processes and seeking clarifications on requests submitted by the project coordinator.
He expressed optimism that the council would accelerate approvals for projects after completing the first phase of its oversight activities.
On flooding and the inaccessibility of some project sites, particularly Lot 11 at Ogale, Eleme, he said the council would engage HYPREP Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, to develop immediate solutions.
“We’ve been told there’s a special kind of challenge they’re experiencing. The GC members will go back and discuss with the PC on how that can be resolved quickly,” he said.
The council leader also commended the Centre of Excellence at Gokana, describing it as a signature project capable of competing with facilities of international standard.
He, however, stressed the need for a sustainable maintenance and management framework to ensure that the facility delivers on its objectives.
“It’s not just enough to come up with a wonderful piece of edifice like this. The most important question we need to address now is how do we sustain a project like this, how do we put it to use, so that the people of Ogoni, Rivers State, Nigeria and the world at large can benefit,” he said.
The inspection team visited remediation sites at Agiakpori and Ogale in Eleme, water projects at K-Dere and Bua Yeghe, as well as the Centre of Excellence at Gokana.