President Muhammadu Buhari has redoubled his commitment towards ensuring that UNEP Report on Ogoniland is implemented in few weeks.
This follows the unannounced Monday visit of the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed to Ogoniland.
The latest visit was the Minister’s 3rd to Ogoniland since she assumed office and the 2nd in 10 days, having just left Ogoniland on March 4, 2016.
Privileged information available to newsmen has it that the Minister was in Ogoniland on the order of President Muhammadu Muhari to prepare the grounds for his (President Buhari) visit to flag-off the Ogoni clean-up exercise to formally kick-start the long awaited Ogoni clean-up expected to last for over 30 years.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report was released on August 4, 2011 on completion of a scientific audit of polluted
environment in Ogoniland but had remained unimplemented by successive administration till President Buhari assumed power on May 29, 2015.
The Minister was received on arrival by the renowned Ogoni born Environmental Rights Activist and National Coordinator of Ogoni Solidarity Forum (OFS), Celestine AkpoBari.
Speaking on receiving the Hon. Minister, AkpoBari said he was committed to work and make sacrifices for whatever will move Ogoni forward, adding that, he will spend the rest of his life working life for Ogoni.
Places visited by the Minister during the short visit before returning to Abuja included spill sites at the Bodo-Bonny federal road and those in/around Goi community. A brief reception/meeting was held with a few members of Goi community that were sacked by oil pollution many years ago.
Speaking at the town hall meeting in Goi community, the Minister reassured the people that the pains suffered by the Ogoni as a result of the environmental pollution had lasted for so long but her visit was the beginning of the end of the pain as clean-up would begin soon.
”We understand the pains that the pollution of your environment has caused you over the years, but be assured that this is the beginning of the end of that suffering,” the minister said.
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