Blessing Okorite, Port Harcourt
The African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LCD) has urged the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), the Central Representative Advisory Committee (CRAC) and traditional rulers in Ogoniland, to assiduously work in ensuring that there is peace and security in the area as the government commence cleanup exercise.
The group made the call, on Thursday, during a one day town hall meeting on the role of communities in the clean-up of Ogoni land held, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In his address at the programme, Executive Director of the group, Mr. Monday Osasah, said there was need for relative peace and security in the area so the contractors involved in the cleanup exercise can function effectively.
Said he, “Knowing that the cleanup of Ogoni land and indeed the Niger Delta is social justice.
“And knowing that for the cleanup to succeed requires a multi stakeholders approach, and also knowing that the project potentially offer the community an unprecedented opportunity to be at the forefront of a world class environmental restoration project that will improve their living conditions and livelihoods and provide them with skills that can be exported nationally, regionally and internationally.
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“Ogoni people should as a matter of fact, see the cleanup process as a transformative moment and cooperate with the other stakeholders by discharging their roles and make their domain enabling for contractors and other interested parties that are working and may have one thing or the other to do at the different lots and sites.”
Emphasising on the purpose for the town hall meeting, Mr. Osasah said, “Civil society organisations have as their responsibility the role of sensitization to enable community people understand and play their role and cooperate with government and other stakeholders/interest parties.
“The town hall meeting has become necessary to as a matter of fact remind community stakeholders of their roles to speed up access for spill response.”
Speaking on behalf of MOSOP, Roland Nwikwo, faulted the call for the dissolution of the structures and governing council of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
Nwikwo lauded the efforts of stakeholders, who are genuinely working for the success of the Ogoni clean up and urged those involved in the project to show more commitment.
He assured: “MOSOP will continue to support and cooperate with efforts aimed at a successful implementation of the clean up”.
Speaking for CRAC, King Suanu Baridam, promise that they would interface with stakeholders in ensuring that necessary actions are taken for peaceful and successful Ogoni cleanup.
The monarch said that the cleanup in Ogoni is not a privilege, but the people’s right, adding that CRAC would ensure that stakeholders play their respective roles for the success of the projects and carry community and stakeholders.
