By Gloria Akudoro, Abuja
The Honourable Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, said not less than 2000 jobs have been created by the ministry to the benefit of youths across the four local government areas of Ogoniland beside the numerous indirect jobs that are to be created in the form of trading and support activities.
The Minister who disclosed this during a briefing in Abuja, said through the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), eight hundred and eighty-two youths have been engaged by Batch 1 remediation contractors and an additional one thousand, one hundred and eighteen youths were engaged by Batch 2 remediation contractors.
Dr. Abubakar maintained that the synergy between Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Stakeholders Democracy Network (SDN) yielded positive outcome on the lives of 15 youths after 3 months intensive training fabricated machines used in setting up a Cassava Processing and Fabrication Facility at Korokoro and Tai LGA, which exactly this time last year was commissioned.
He added the that women of the afformentioned areas were not left out in livelihood programme as about 1,200 Ogoni women received entrepreneurial skills.
He said, “The Agribusiness Skill Training and Empowerment Programme for 400 women was initiated as an integral part of the front-end of the clean-up of Ogoniland. Primary objective is aimed at presenting sustainable agriculture and agribusiness as alternative sources of livelihood for women.”
The Minister further desclosed that as part of it commitment to providing portable water to the communities, on 22nd March, 2021officially-flagged off the construction of 6 water schemes at various LGA of Ogoniland; Bori/Kpea water scheme in Khana LGA, Barako/B-Dere/K-Dere water scheme in Gokana LGA, Terabo water scheme in Gokana LGA, Korokoro/Nonwa water scheme in Tai LGA, Alesa water scheme in Eleme LGA and Ebubu/Nsisioken/Ogale water scheme in Eleme LGA. Adding that, construction and rehabilitation is ongoing in all the sites.
Dr. Abubakar, while stating its so far achievement, said after FG flagged-off of the Ogoniland Clean-up Project at Bodo in Gokana LGA of River State on 2nd June, 2021, government further inaugurated three governing bodies which are; Governing Council (GC) Board of Trustees (BOT) and Project Coordination Office (PCO). These structures are saddled with the responsibility of making policy, managing fund and coordinating the day to day running of the project.
The Minister also stressed on remediation of Lots, out of 21 Lots in Phase 1 Batch1 Works, 17 Lots has been completed by HYPREP, out of which 10 Lots has been closed-out by National Oil Spill Detection Agency (NOSDRA) and Certification Sampling for 3Lots for close-out has been completed and others awaits certification sampling for close-out. While 36 Lots of Phase 1 Batch 2 comprises of 2 project activities, that is, Soil Remediation Works (29 Lots) and Tier 2 (T-2) Assessment of Groundwater Works (7 Lots) were Awarded in February 2020.
“However, activities preceding mobilization of these contractors to the sites were slow down due to global covid-19 pandemic in the first and second quarter of 2020.
“As at today, 9 remediation Lots has been completed and are awaiting risk assessment to determine ground water condition in some selected sites were completed,” he stated.