By Daniel Kanu
Assistant Politics Editor
Again, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has raised the alarm that despite the promise of federal government and Shell Oil Company to expedite action on Ogoni clean up the exercise is still bogged down in bureaucracy and controversies resulting in no progress.
Executive Director, ERA/FoEN, Dr Godwin Uyi Ojo made the disclosure at a Press briefing in Lagos on Tuesday to update the media on the Ogoni clean up exercise and its undercurrent.
The environmental activist who was livid with anger during the briefing said that despite the inauguration of a Governing Council to provide the needed institutional framework to drive the process, no verifiable progress has been recorded as not a drop of oil has been cleaned from the devastated communities.
Against the backdrop, Ojo said the Ogoni environment is at its worst as her people suffer impoverishment and misery.
According to Ojo “The pre-clean up emergency relief measures recommended by UNEP such as access to clean water rather than the benzene polluted water sources they rely on has not been addressed.
“Similarly, medical health care delivery and compensation for lost livelihoods continue to suffer neglect and inaction. Poverty is rife and the life expectancy of the people now considered the shortest in Nigeria”
“Shell has put profit before people and ecological crimes to the safety, livelihoods and wellbeing of the Ogoni people”.
Ojo noted further that latest revelation from Kay Holtzmann, a leading oil spill expert and former employee of Shell shows that Shell concealed data on the potential health effects of its oil spills on the Bodo community of Ogoni land.
In a statement he made available to the press, ERA/FoEN demands “the federal government and relevant agencies must give attention to the situation and do something remarkable to alleviate the suffering of the people.
“It is sad that almost two years to President Muhammed Buhari’s administration and about a year after the kick-off ceremony of the cleanup of the Ogoni land, nothing pointing to justice for the people has started. Justice delayed is justice denied.
Part of the demand of ERA/FoEN from the Presidency among others are “Draw up and publish firm timelines through a participatory and transparent process, and publicise the step by step of the planned implementation of the cleanup process in conjunction with all interested parties.
“Abrogate or amend the HYPREP gazette to provide the legal backing to the clean-up process. To this end, establish the Ogoni Environmental Restoration Authority as a means of empowering the Ogonis as recommended by the UNEP report.
“Commence immediate emergency relief measures and ensure the cleanup process is comprehensive, including environmental remediation such as biodiversity restoration, and compensation for loss of livelihoods.
“Ensure the oil companies’ role are restricted to providing their own share of the funds needed for the clean-up process under the Polluter Pays Principle. Shell and its joint venture partners should not be allowed to be a part of the oversight institutions or to drive a process in which they are chief culprits and violators.
“Set up a new structure called the Technical Partners unit headed by UNEP and other interested institutions with expertise in complex multi-disciplinary clean-up processes. This Unit will undertake the monitoring of the implementation processes and provide technical support to ensure that standards are maintained during the clean-up process.
“Empower NOSDRA that currently lacks the capacity to detect spills, to be able to conduct proper cleanup process, or monitor clean up independently through the joint investigation visits currently dominated by the oil companies.
“While the UNEP report had recommended a $1 billion initial restoration fund for Ogoni ERA/FoEN recommends US$100 billion clean up and Restoration fund to cover the entire Niger Delta”.
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