The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for fast-tracking the environmental clean-up of Ogoniland.
It said the action proved that he is a president for all as he had already asserted.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, said this at a media briefing in Lagos.
Mohammed said that the step was undoubtedly one of the most significant decisions taken by the President since his inauguration on May 29.
Mohammed said: ”This action of the President transcends all the needless arguments about the appointments so far made by him, because it touches directly on the well-being of a long-suffering people- people whose farmlands, drinking water, homes and sources of living have been deeply affected by hydrocarbon pollution.
“The action also puts a lie to the antics of those who insinuated that the President would ignore those who did not vote for him in the March 28 presidential election.
”Undoubtedly, the most far-reaching action by the President has been to the benefit of the Niger Delta, where he is not known to have garnered many votes! What a pleasant irony, ” he said.
Mohammed said that the President’s action had breathed life into a four-year report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which had been gathering dust on the shelf since it was published on Aug. 4, 2011.
“The UNEP report revealed the nature and extent of oil contamination in Ogoniland, which includes the extensive pollution of soil by petroleum hydrocarbons in Ogoni.
“Pollution has reached groundwater. In one site, in Eleme Local Government, 8cm layer of refined oil is floating on the groundwater serving community wells.
“Crops were damaged, fish fawning places in Mangrove contaminated, oil fires kill vegetation and there was loss of Mangrove cover due to increased artisanal refining
“Surface water contains hydrocarbons. Floating layers of oil vary from thick black oil to thin sheens. Fish deserted polluted areas, which made the Fish sector suffer due to destruction of fish habitats.
“On the issue of public health, Ogoni community are exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons which are in the outdoor air, drinking water and contaminated soil.
“Community members in some areas drink water with Benzene, a known carcinogen, at levels 900 times above the WHO guideline”, he said.
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