By Ngozi Nwankwo
Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP has said that additional two water schemes in Beeri and Bunu in Khana and Tai Local Government Areas,LGAs, respectively which are in their Phase II water Project would be completed and ready for commissioning in February 2025
The Project Coordinator HYPREP, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey who
made this disclosure shortly after his visit to the water facilities and some shoreline remediation sites in K-Dere, Gokana LGA, said the completion of the additional water was part of the Project’s mandate to provide potable water to impacted communities in Ogoni.
Zabbey expressed satisfaction at the pace of works and the determination and commitment of community workers to the Project.
He stated that the visit was to appraise the level of work on these projects and to encourage community workers as a way of enhancing the speed and quality of the work.
The Project Coordinator also expressed delight that more communities will have access to clean drinking water, noting that other HYPREP’s projects viz public health interventions, remediation, livelihood among others would improve the overall quality of life of the Ogoni people.
Reacting to the brief interface with the K-Dere Community and the warm reception accorded him, Zabbey said the spontaneity of the gesture during such an unannounced visit was indicative of the level of acceptance and buy-in the Project is getting from Ogoni communities.
At the engagement with the K-Dere leadership, the PC promised to reconvene a meeting with the community to discuss some demands raised by them. He reiterated that the Project is community-centric and both stakeholder buy-in and useful feedback are necessary for effective project implementation.
He, however, requested the community to have women representation in the scheduled meeting in line with the Project’s policy of gender inclusion. He added that as drivers of the local economy, women should not be left out in discussions that would affect them.
Speaking further on the visit to the K-Dere shoreline, the PC said he was excited at the return of oysters. The oyster is a salt water bivalve molluscs that was once in abundance before the environmental pollution in the creeks. He attributed this positive development as an improvement in the ecosystem following the ongoing remediation of the environment by HYPREP.
Nigerian Pilot learnt that HYPREP is currently carrying out 34 shoreline remediation works in Gokana LGA and the construction of 14 water lots in its Phase II water Project which will provide potable water to 68 communities. At date the shoreline cleanup is at 25 percent completion, covering 123 grids across 357.6 of 1747.6 ha. Also the general percentage completion for the 14 water lots is 55.56 percent.