The African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) has called on the Federal Government to develop a template for the cleanup of the Niger Delta as stipulated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) where a timeline of 25-30 years to achieve a full restoration of environment in the region.
The call is coming on the assumption that government is going about the Ogoni cleanup without a definite plan which specify who is doing what, when, how and where.
Monday Osasah, programme director, Centre-LSD in a press conference in Abuja on Friday called on the government to give specific time line to organisations participating in the Ogoni cleanup exercise.
As part of the efforts to ensure that the Ogoni clean up exercise is achieved, the Centre has launched a campaign titled #CleanUpNigerDeltaNow.
According to the Centre, the project is aimed at achieving a healthy and sustainable environment in the Niger Delta by 2020.
“On assumption of office, the Buhari-led administration set in motion $1billion clean up and restoration programme of Ogoni land in the Niger Delta, announcing that financial and legislative frameworks had been put in place to begin implementing recommendations made by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
“The UNEP Report has indicated a time line of 25-30 years to achieve full restoration of the environment in Niger Delta. Accordingly, the federal government on June 2, 2016 flagged up the clean up of the Ogoni land in the Niger Delta. But the challenge right now is that the euphoria that greeted the flag off appears to be at a low ebb”.
The Centre noted that despite the plethora of issues to be addressed as emergency measures, nothing has been done up till date.
They stressed that only some of the emergency measures have been implemented and partially too.
“Signs have been posted in several areas warning people of the dangers of contact with contaminated water and land. Emergency water supplies were brought to affected communities. Report from communities indicate that supplies of water were erratic and the amount (volume) provided were also insufficient”.
Centre LSD advised stakeholders to join in the advocacy and campaign on #CleanUpNigerDeltaNow in line with the spirit of the flag off the implementation of the UNEP report by the federal government.
