SAN FRANCISCO, May 30, (THEWILL) – President Muhammadu Buhari will launch the Ogoni land clean up initiative, recommended in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report, on June 2.
This was disclosed in a statement, issued in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday, by Chijioke Amu-Nnadi, Head, Corporate Affairs unit, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The statement said the Minister of Environment, Mrs. Amina Mohammed, confirmed the date when she visited Bodo in Gokana local government area of the state to inspect an oil spill clean-up demonstration.
Amu-Nnadi added that the Minister revealed that Buhari had given assurances that the area would be cleaned-up in fulfilment of his electioneering promise to people of the Niger Delta.
“I can confirm that President Buhari will visit Ogoni land on June 2 to flag-off clean-up of oil spills in the area as recommended in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report,” the statement quoted the Minster.
“Buhari would return to Ogoni land where he inaugurated a fish pond in 1984 where the once flourishing pond regrettably had been destroyed by oil pollution.
“The Federal Government is coming back to restore the ecosystem to what it used to be and as such restore the peoples’ source of livelihood.
“We are not just committed to implementing the UNEP report but we are also going beyond that by taking steps to improve security, good governance and economy of the Niger Delta region.
“I can assure that the clean-up exercise is only the beginning, as Mr. President is focused on restoring hope to people of the region.”
Story by David Oputah
