PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari is committed to the cleanup of the oil-rich Ogoniland as contained in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report.
Minister of Environment, Ms Amina Mohammed, gave the assurance after inspecting a cleanup demonstration site in Bodo, Gokana Local Government of Rivers State
She did the inspection exercise in the company of the acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mrs Ibim Semenitari.
In a statement issued by the NDDC Director, Public Affairs, Mr Chijioke Amu-Nnadi, on Monday, the minister said the president would flag off the cleanup exercise in Ogoni, on Thursday, as a demonstration of his commitment to the exercise.
She said that it was fortuitous that President Buhari would return to Ogoniland where he had commissioned a flourishing fish pond in 1984.
Noting that it was regrettable that the he would now see a fish pond that had been destroyed by oil pollution, the minister added, “To come back to see that the fish pond is gone is indeed a tragedy.”
She said it was not just that the fish pond was destroyed, but the livelihood and wealth of a people were equally ruined.
She added that the president was coming to restore hope, adding, “The Federal Government is coming back to restore the ecosystem to what it used to be and bring back the source of livelihood for the people.
“We are not just committed to implementing the UNEP report. We are going beyond that to also look at the overall effort to revive the Niger Delta region.
“We have to get all stakeholders to buy into this project so as to make it sustainable. It is not just a project for the Federal Government. The states, local governments and communities have a stake,” she.
The minister said the commencement of the cleanup exercise was only the beginning, adding, “What is more important is what happens the days after the flag off. President Buhari is concerned about the issues of security, good governance and the economy”.
Also speaking, the NDDC acting Managing Director said development was a big issue for the interventionist agency and that cleaning up the Niger Delta environment was of utmost importance to the commission.
Mrs Semenitari expressed delight that the president was coming to Ogoni to demonstrate the importance he attached to the welfare of the people of the Niger Delta and the Ogonis in particular.
“President Buhari is acting true to his character as one who keeps promises,” she said, adding that Ogonis were united behind the efforts of the Federal Government to cleanup their environment.
She said it would help in ensuring the sustainability of the project, adding that the support of stakeholders was critical for the success of the restoration programme.
“One of the things the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan stresses on is partnership, which is facilitated through the Partners for Sustainable Development (PSD) Forum. Again, NDDC is better placed to coordinate the efforts of the various stakeholders”, she said.
One of the community leaders in Bodo, Mene Michael Porobunu, said he was excited that, at last, the polluted environment in Ogoniland would be remediated.
“He lamented that the Ogonis had to live with the pollution, describing it as “the greatest manmade disaster in this part of the world.”