Port Harcourt – Mr Celestine Akpobari, a Port Harcourt-based environmentalists, said on Thursday that the Federal Government was sincere and committed to implement the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report.
Akpobari, an Ogoni indigene and a human right activist, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that the community was awaiting the inauguration of administrative structure to ensure efficient monitoring of the clean-up.
“We are expecting the formal announcement and inauguration of the administrative structures such as the Governing Council, Board of Trustees and Project Management Team.
“We are also expecting the kick off of emergency measures as recommended in the UNEP Report, like providing potable water, electricity etc for communities to cushion the effect of long years of deprivation,” he said.
Akpobari said it was not true that the Shell Petroleum Development Company had pulled out of the Clean-up as rumoured and urged Ogonis and the general public to ignore the rumour.
“It is not correct that SPDC has pulled out. It is false. SPDC has been involved in the whole thing, in negotiating for the process to commence.
“Mrs Amina Muhammed, the Minister of Environment, who is driving the process, is a woman of integrity. She is trustworthy and committed to Clean-up Ogoniland,” he said.
According to Akpobari, there will be re-assessment of the environment because the UNEP Report was produced five years ago, as it is possible that pollution may have spread further.
“We cannot rely on the report in terms of the size of pollution now because it must have spread to other areas,” he said. (NAN)
