‘Buhari’s Ogoni Clean-Up A Ruse, Not A Drop Of Oil Cleaned’
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The launch of Ogoniland cleanup by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration in June, 2016 may turn out to be a ruse as “not a drop of oil” has been cleaned since its flag off.
This is the position of a group, the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, ERA/FoEN, who claim that ten months after a team led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo flagged off the clean-up exercise, no actual work has commenced on Ogoniland.
According to ERA/FoEN’s Executive Director, Godwin Ojo, Ogoni clean-up organizers may have flagged off the exercise only as a “money-making venture” rather than having the people’s interest at heart.
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“As we speak, there has been no serious effort to manage the expectations of the Ogonis. While some believe that the clean-up process is a money-making venture, others are facing difficulties to pursue the clean-up process,” Mr. Ojo said at a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday.
“Authorities responsible for the clean-up should come up publicly, provide a template for the clean-up and a step by step blueprint on how it would progress. The media is even kept in the dark, for example, no one knows the effective date of the clean-up process, and this is not good enough to manage the people’s expectations. Not everyone is being carried along at the moment.”
“From the records we have, the US$10 million promise of initial take-off grant is yet to be released.”
“And that is not even the question, the government and Shell and other joint ventures have come to the understanding that they will be able to pay $200 million on a yearly basis for the $1 billion recommended by UNEP report.
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“The UNEP report recommended $1 billion initial take-off grant, but the government and Shell is already short-changing the people to have a fixation of $1 billion.
“Almost two years into President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and about a year after the kick-off ceremony of the clean-up of the Ogoniland, nothing pointing to justice for the people has started. Justice delayed is justice denied.
“The question on the lips of Nigerians is: When will the clean-up of Ogoniland and by extension the Niger Delta begin?”
The WHISTLER recalls that President Buhari had within three months of acceding office, approved a $10 million initial take-off grant for implementation of a report on Ogoniland by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The report had indicated that the people of Ogoni were at high risks of developing health problems due to large-scale contamination of water and soil on their land.
