By David Amusa, Port HarcourtThe people of Ogoni have flayed the Minister of State for Environment, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Jibrin, for abusing the essence of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and the clean-up of Ogoni land.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the Ogoni General Assembly held at Suanu Finimale Nwika Hall, Bori, in Khana local government area and read by the National Co-ordinator of Kensarowiwa Associates, Chief Gani Topba, the people stated that it was saddening to hear that HYPREP was embarking on medical outreach and that the minster was in Ogoni land to flag it off.
He stated that in as much as the medical outreach was good in reaching out to those who are sick in rural areas, it was the least expected of HYPREP as the UNEP report had indicated that a clean and portable water should be provided for Ogoni people because of the contamination of their soil and rivers.
The National Coordinator said that they had expected HYPREP to take this headlong and change the lives of Ogoni people rather than choose pedantic projects such as medical outreach which ordinarily could have been done by any Non-governmental organization (NGO).
He accused the authority of HYPREP including the Minister of State for Environment for engaging in antics such as the medical outreach with the intention of keeping the 10 million dollars released in the bank to fetch interest for a cabal in these institutions.
He stated that the Ogoni people will not fold their arms and watch what belongs to them being trivialized.
He praised President Muhammadu Buhari for being the first leader to release money for the cause of Ogoni people and appealed to him not to overlook the activities of people saddled with responsibilities to administer the funds for the clean-up project.
Furthermore, Chief Topba condemned all forms of insecurity in Ogoni land, which he said could not be far from the covert activities of some of the oil multi-nationals.
He warned that if the insecurity continued unabated that the Ogoni people would have no choice than to boycott the 2019 general elections.
Chief Topba stated that it was saddening to see Ogoni kill Ogoni over little communal misunderstanding, pointing out that if late Ken Saro Wiwa was alive, he could have wept uncontrollably.
“If the Federal and State Governments do not do everything within the context of the law to protect every community in Ogoniland, Ogoni people will not vote in 2019. Also, we will reject any politician whether in APC or PDP who did not join hands with his brother in other party to keep peace in Ogoni.”.
