After years of controversy and delay, the Federal Government has finally launched the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme. (UNEP) report on the clean-up of Ogoniland and other areas of the Niger Delta Region.
Addressing a mammoth crowd at Bodo Town in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, the Vice President, Prof. Femi Osinbajo, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at yesterday’s event, expressed regrets at the damage done to the ecosystem as a result of oil exploration and production in Ogoniland and the Niger Delta region .
Delivering the president’s speech, Osinbajo, said: “I recall the time as a military Head of State when I visited Bodo Town in Ogoniland. During that visit, I commissioned a large fishpond and planted a tree as a sign of government’s concern for the environment.
“Unfortunately, since then, the degradation of land, water and air has done huge damage to the fragile ecosystem of the Niger Delta, especially Ogoniland.
“Oil exploration and production have been going on in Nigeria for six decades. Oil has given a boost to the Nigerian economy, but the ecosystem of the Niger Delta has been severely damaged. Fishing and agriculture have been badly affected.
“There are Acts, enactment, laws, guidelines and regulations to govern the operators of the oil industry. However, either because of lack of will or willful non-compliance with environmental laws, the environment has been put in jeopardy.
“The various communities in the Niger Delta region, noting the negative impact of oil production and lack of consideration for best practices, quite rightly commenced the struggle for justice and fair play in the conduct of business by oil industry operators.
“This, unfortunately, led to the loss of lives and property. International concern was raised while past governments were urged to take decisive steps to address the issue.”
He expressed regrets that despite the initiative by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to engage UNEP to undertake the clean-up, the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s administration failed to implement the recommendations.
“The report was submitted to my predecessor while still in office in 2011, but the implementation was not accorded the necessary support it required. The people of Ogoniland continued to suffer from pollution of air, land and water.
“We are determined to right the wrongs of the past, where the people of this land were treated unfairly and their environment unduly degraded.
“Today, we are in Ogoniland, in the heart of the Niger Delta to fulfill our promise to you and to bring justice and succour to our people. The clean-up of this land will require change on the part of all those who deal with the Niger Delta environment, particularly the oil companies and our communities. The tempo of this assignment increased when my cabinet was constituted.
“The Honourable Minister of Environment consulted all relevant ministries to actualise the UNEP report. We are therefore laying a solid foundation today for the restoration of the fragile ecosystem of Ogoniland and the rest of the Niger Delta.
“The first step begins with a solid foundation, which would be brought about through consultation, transparency, accountability, investing in the people and the environment.
“Let me seize this opportunity to sound a note of warning that the current oil theft and illegal refining will not be tolerated. The regulators of the oil industry must live up to expectations. They must ensure that oil companies carry out their operations in line with universal best practices.
“The government places a high emphasis on the diversification of our economy. This is to ensure that our economy is strong and capable of supporting our teeming young people through job and wealth creation.”
Osinbajo disclosed that the clean up was the fulfillment of President Buhari’s campaign promise to the people of Ogoni in 2015, and called on all Nigerians irrespective of political affiliation to support the effort of the Buhari led Federal Government, noting that the UNEP report indicated a timeline of 25 to 30 years to achieve full restoration of the environment of the Niger Delta.
The Minister of Transportation Chibuike Amaechi, who also spoke at the event, narrated his ordeal as the former Governor of Rivers State at the time, and the difficulties he encountered trying to persuade former President Jonathan to start the process of implementing the UNEP report.
He said though the desired result was not achieved, he commended Buhari for fulfilling his promise to the people of Ogoni and for taking the bold step to ensure the commencement of the exercise.
In his address, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike said : “The Rivers State Government will ever be willing to provide the platform for the smooth achievement of this long awaited intervention.
“We acknowledge that this is a federal initiative. The direct impact is borne by our people. We therefore urge all our stakeholders to embrace and support this federal government gesture and ensure a hitch-free exercise.
“We therefore welcome this initiative wholeheartedly as shown by our enthusiastic presence, believing that the recommendations of UNEP will be systematically executed. This is because we believe that only environmental justice would restore sustainable peace, stability and socio-economic progress in the Niger Delta.
“We therefore commend Mr. President’s determination to close this ugly chapter in our country’s history. Although this has taken long in coming; it is never too late when it comes to the environment. Therefore, Mr. President sir, your presence in Ogoniland today is a testimonial of the long awaited clean-up and remediation exercises of the Niger Delta polluted environment,” he added.
On her part, the Minister of Environment, Mrs Amina Muhammed, in her welcome address said: “It will require the trust that we have lost over the decades; it will require transparency and accountability and it will require proper representation of the people in what we are doing in investing in their future. It will also require that we do things differently. That is why this administration called for change,” she said.
The Executive Director of UNEP, Mr. Achim Steiner, in his remarks, revealed that the task of producing the report was a huge risk taken by the UNEP team but commended the Obasanjo administration for taking the initiative to kick start the process of cleaning up the pollut Niger Delta environment including Ogoniland, and expressed the UNEP team’s commitment to the process.
In his address, the President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Mr. Legborsi Pyagbara, expressed appreciation to President Buhari and every Nigerian who contributed to the success of the flag-off .
