President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday approved several actions to fast-track the long delayed implementation of the United Nations Environmental Programme Report on the environmental restoration of Ogoniland.
The actions approved by President Buhari, based on recommendations to him by the Executive Director of UNEP, the UNEP Special Representative for Ogoniland, permanent secretaries of the Federal Ministries of Environment and Petroleum Resources, and others, include the amendment of the official gazette establishing the Hydrocarbon
Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) to reflect a new governance framework comprising a Governing Council, a Board of Trustees and Project Management.
Mr. Buhari also approved that the HYPREP Governing Council should be composed of representatives of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Federal Ministry of Environment, impacted states, oil companies and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, representatives from Ogoniland, representatives from the United Nations System.
He also approved the composition of a Board of Trustees for the HYPREP Trust Fund.
Following a meeting held on the directive of the president, it was also agreed that a contribution deposit of $10 million (N2 billion) will be made by stakeholders within 30 days of the appointment of members of the Board of Trustees for the Trust Fund, who will be responsible for collecting and managing funds from contributors and donors.
A new implementation template has also been evolved at the instance of President Buhari, and the environmental clean-up of Ogoniland will commence in earnest with the President’s inauguration of the HYPREP Governing Council and the Board of Trustees for the Trust Fund.
Source: PremiumTimes
