The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr Nsima Ekere, on Friday hosted a two-day training workshop for technical assistants in the Ogoni clean-up and remediation project at the conference hall of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Ekere, who was represented by the NDDC Director, Special Duties, Dr. Princewill Ekanim, said that the commission would collaborate with Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation project, to provide the necessary support in the effort to tackle the environmental concerns of the Ogoni people and restore their native occupation of farming and fishing.
“There are over 5,000 impacted sites in the Niger Delta region and about 25 per cent are in Ogoniland,” he said.
The NDDC stressed the need to make the exercise a success to provide the road map to the clean-up of all hydrocarbon impacted sites in the Niger Delta region.
Ekere said, “The commission is to work with oil companies operating in the region and other stakeholders to carry out this task.’’
The Project Coordinator for HYREP, Dr Marvin Dekil, underscored the essence of the training on oil spill assessment, stating that it would develop the capacity of the young environmental scientists as well as foster the involvement of the Ogoni community in the project.
Meanwhile, a pro-All Progressives Congress group; Free Rivers Development Initiative, has expressed the need for a power shift from upland to the riverine area in Rivers State.
President of the group, Sampson Ngeregbara explained that it was time for a person from the riverine area to occupy the position of the governor in the state in the interest of equity and fair play.
Ngeregbara spoke while inaugurating the Students’ Wing of his group in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Source: PUNCH
