In keeping with his avowed commitment to working for the development and
well-being of all Nigerians, President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday in Abuja
approved several actions to fast-track the long delayed implementation of
the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) 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 other stakeholders, 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.
The President further approved that the HYPREP Governing Council should be
composed as follows:
Ministry of Petroleum Resources – One Representative
Federal Ministry of Environment – One Representative
Impacted States (Rivers) – One
Representative
Oil Companies & NNPC – 4 Representatives
Ogoniland – 2
Representatives
United Nations System – One
Representative
Secretariat –
Headed by Project Manager
He also approved the composition of a Board of Trustees for the HYPREP
Trust Fund as follows:
Federal Government – One
Representative
NNPC –
One Representative
International Oil Companies – One Representative
Ogoniland –
One Representative
United Nations System – One
Representative
Following a meeting held on the directive of President Buhari, it was also
agreed that a contribution deposit of 10 million United States dollars
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.