Movement for Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) has welcomed President Muhammadu Buhari’s order for audit of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) charged with implementing problematic Ogoni Cleanup in Rivers state.
MOSOP President, Fegalo Nsuke, in a Saturday afternoon tweet also acknowledged the President’s rescinding of the decision to switch ministerial supervision of HYPREP from prevailing Ministry of Environment to that of Niger Delta Affairs.
On the imperative for the HYPREP audit, Nsuke reiterated the allegation that, “Massive fraud in excess of $200 million has occurred in the agency (HYPREP). We hope the audit will be transparent and conducted with utmost integrity.”
President Buhari had in a memo dated July 29, 2022 ordered an audit of HYPREP from its inception and approved its reorganization while the agency remains under management of the Ministry of Environment.
Nsuke affirmed that, “MOSOP was far more committed to the success of the Ogoni cleanup but intolerant of abuses and corruption that have wrecked the process.
“Though it was awkward to move supervision of an environmental cleanup exercise from a ministry of environment to a ministry designed purposely to gratify Niger Delta people, MOSOP was far more interested in the transparency and commitment to success of the cleanup exercise.”
On the argument that Ogoni Cleanup is a Niger Delta affair, Nsuke said, “The entire world has shown more commitment to the Ogoni cause and cleanup program than the Niger Delta ministry.
“If the argument of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs were to be taken seriously, then all the road works, healthcare, educational and all federal government interventions in the Niger Delta should have been routed through the Niger Delta Ministry.
“The actions of the Niger Delta Ministry were already showing strong signs of stirring internal crises in Ogoni with stories of its links to some impostors who claim to be representing Ogoni. Ogoni are averse to any move that threatened our peace.
“We are aware of some clandestine moves targeting Ogoni cleanup funds and to get recommendation for an oil firm to resume oil production in Ogoni through impostors claiming to be representing Ogoni people. It is unfortunate that Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has been caught somewhere in this web”
“We advise the Niger Delta Ministry to take its eyes from the Ogoni cleanup funds and not contemplate any possibility that some Niger Delta nationalities will use impostors to control the Ogoni cleanup by any means.” (Vanguard)