A chieftain of the Movement for the Survival Of Ogoni People (MOSOP) Fegalo Nsuke on Sunday hailed President Bola Tinubu for his choice of Dr Olufemi Adekanmbi as new coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), saying the appointment marked a turning point for the Ogoni clean-up project.
The appointment of Adekambi, a former Commissioner for Special Duties, Culture and Tourism in Ondo State and member of the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), was announced by presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, on Saturday.
Nsuke who is recognised in a section of MOSOP as President, noted that even though the new coordinator was not from Ogoni, what mattered most under the present circumstance was competence and capacity to undertake the clean-up of Ogoni.
He lamented that Ogoni sons have been in the position in the past but could not deliver satisfactorily, adding “what matters to us is someone who can deliver. We have had Ogonis there for eight years and we’ve been disappointed. So if Adekanmbi does it right, we are fine with that.”
He also set an agenda for the new HYPREP coordinator. He said: “We want him to prioritize water provision and implement the integrated water project which was approved by the Governing Council of HYPREP in 2017.
“We will also want him to focus more on proper clean-up of both surface and underground pollution. That’s actually his mandate.”
Prof Iniodu George, an environmentalist and professor of environmental and public health parasitology in the department of environmental biology at the University of Cross River State, has commended Tinubu for the choice of Adekanmbi.
He said in an interview on Sunday: “The President anticipates the exercise of competence, dedication, and professionalism in fulfilling the mission of the HYPREP to restore and revitalize communities impacted by hydrocarbon pollution, with a primary focus on Ogoniland in Nigeria.
“We want him to prioritize water provision and implement the integrated water project which was approved by the Governing Council of HYPREP in 2017.
“I expect the new coordinator to spring into action to review the state of affairs in Ogoni clean-up effort and engage best available technology to enhance timely and permanent results in the remediation of the impacted ecosystems, as well chart a course for the provision of sustainable infrastructure and socioeconomic amenities, especially access to clean water, sanitation and healthcare.
“The appointment of a new project coordinator for HYPREP coming on the heels of the 2024 Niger Delta Summit, where the chronic devastation of the region’s environment was again vehemently decried by participants and natives, signifies a pragmatic intention by Mr. President to address the issues of oil pollution in the Niger Delta.”
