HYPREP Governing Council Impressed With Ogoni Projects, Promises Faster Delivery

Members of the Governing Council of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) have expressed satisfaction with the progress of ongoing projects across Ogoniland, Rivers State, assuring that identified challenges would be addressed to accelerate project delivery.

The council members gave the assurance during a two-day oversight inspection of various HYPREP project sites across Ogoniland.

Speaking after inspecting some of the projects, a member of the HYPREP Governing Council, Prof. Michael Barinedum Nwibere, said the visit was part of the council’s oversight responsibility to assess projects on the ground and identify areas requiring intervention.

Prof. Nwibere said the delegation had visited several sites, including a livelihood training facility in Port Harcourt; remediation sites at Agia Kpori Ogale in Eleme Local Government Area and K-Dere in Gokana Local Government Area; potable water projects in K-Dere and Yeghe communities; as well as the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER).

He said the council was particularly impressed by the level of work at the various sites, although some challenges had been identified that required urgent attention.

According to him, flooding had affected the activities of some contractors, while Lot 11 of the remediation project was also facing a particular challenge that needed to be addressed.

He assured that the Governing Council would engage the Project Coordination Office (PCO) on the issues with a view to finding quick solutions and preventing them from negatively affecting project delivery.

On the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, Prof. Nwibere described the facility as impressive and capable of competing with international standards.

He, however, stressed that beyond the construction of the facility, attention must now be focused on its sustainability and effective utilisation.

“The most important question we need to address now is the issue of how do we sustain this project? How do we put it to use so that the people of Ogoni, Rivers State, Nigeria and the world at large can benefit from the whole idea behind the establishment of a centre like this,” he said.

Addressing concerns over funding and the pace of some projects, Prof. Nwibere explained that HYPREP projects were subject to established procedures and funding processes.

He said the Governing Council had played its part by considering and approving requests from the PCO, while the necessary processes for accessing and releasing funds were being followed.

He disclosed that funds had been approved and some had already been released, adding that the council’s presence on the field would enable it to determine where additional funding, clarification or acceleration of approval processes might be required.

“By the time we complete this first phase of the oversight duties, we should be able to give accelerated approval to most of these projects,” he said.

Prof. Nwibere also addressed criticisms of HYPREP, stressing that the Ogoni people had every right to ask questions and demand accountability concerning the project.

He, however, appealed to stakeholders to ensure that criticisms were presented responsibly and constructively.

“The Ogoni people own this project, and they have every right to ask questions where necessary,” he said, adding that the council was not against criticism.

He noted that HYPREP had involved international partners and donor agencies in carrying out its mandate and was therefore required to operate within laid-down procedures and international best practices.

According to him, concerns over slow project implementation should begin to ease as the funding and approval processes move forward, expressing optimism that the pace of project completion would increase.

He further advised stakeholders to seek clarification from the PCO and the Governing Council before making public claims about the project, noting that constructive engagement would help address genuine concerns without creating unnecessary negative narratives about Ogoniland.

At the livelihood training facility in Port Harcourt, where 100 Ogoni youths were undergoing cybersecurity training, members of the Governing Council charged the beneficiaries not to sell or dispose of the starter packs to be provided at the completion of their training.

They urged the trainees to judiciously utilise the equipment to build sustainable livelihoods and empower others.

The training programme was anchored by computer expert and Professor of Practice in Cybersecurity, Prof. Robinson Tombari Sibe, who was present to ensure that the beneficiaries derived maximum value from the exercise.

HYPREP’s livelihood interventions have expanded to include specialised skills such as cybersecurity, software development, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), mechatronics, commercial diving and other areas, with thousands of Ogoni indigenes trained under various livelihood programmes.

HYPREP’s mandate covers environmental remediation, sustainable livelihoods, potable water, public health and other interventions aimed at addressing the environmental, social and economic challenges arising from oil pollution in Ogoniland.

The Governing Council’s two-day inspection is expected to continue with visits to additional project sites, followed by further discussions and assessments with the Project Coordination Office.

HYPREP’s Director of Technical Services, Prof. Damian Paul-Aguiyi, guided the Governing Council members during the inspection of the various project sites.