Ogoni clean-up will take 20 years, says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said the clean-up of Ogoniland and other oil-impacted communities which his administration started in Bodo, Rivers State on June 2 will last for 20 years.

Buhari said this while inaugurating the Governing Council and the Board of Trustees of the Trust Fund for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project for the Implementation of the UNEP Report at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The President said while the first five years would address emergency response measures and remediation, subsequent years would look to restore the ecosystems in the Niger Delta.

He said, “The clean-up exercise is expected to go on for two decades.  The first five years will address emergency response measures and remediation while the subsequent years will look to restore the ecosystems in the Niger Delta.

“The governance framework we lay today, following extensive consultations, will form the bedrock for sustainability for years to come.

“Together we will be able to transform what is today a tragic tale of desolation and destruction to one of restoration and opportunity for the coming generations.  The expertise and technology exist to make this a reality.

“In the end, this project will serve as the ‘gold standard’ for the clean-up of similar pollution in other parts of the Niger Delta, and the world at large.”

Buhari called on the local communities, especially the youth, to work with the government in ensuring the security of the projects and persons implementing them.

He also urged members of the BoT and Governing Council to ensure the highest standard of transparency and accountability in the task.

He said measures were being put in place to ensure that the funds devoted to the project were used only for the intended purpose.

The President said, “Since the time of flag-off, considerable effort has been expended to create a robust mechanism for implementing the project in the long term.

“The Governing Council and the Board of Trustees, which are being inaugurated today (Thursday), jointly form an essential part of the governance framework.

“In addition to the management and administration structure, other systems and controls are being put in place to ensure that the funds devoted to this project are used only for the intended purpose.”