President Buhari Approves Actions To Fast-Track Environmental Clean-Up Of Ogoniland

President Buhari Approves

Actions To Fast-Track

Environmental Clean-Up Of

Ogoniland

The actions approved by President Buhari,

based on recommendations to him by the

Executive Director of UNEP, the UNEP

Special Representative for Ogoniland,

Permanent Secretaries of the Federal

Ministries of Environment and Petroleum

Resources, and other stakeholders,

include the amendment of the Official

Gazette establishing the Hydrocarbon

Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) to

reflect a new governance framework

comprising a Governing Council, a Board

of Trustees and Project Management 

In keeping with his avowed commitment to

working for the development and well-being

of all Nigerians, President Muhammadu

Buhari Wednesdayin Abuja approved several

actions to fast-track the long delayed

implementation of the United Nations

Environmental Programme (UNEP) Report on the

environmental restoration of Ogoniland.

The actions approved by President Buhari, based

on recommendations to him by the Executive

Director of UNEP, the UNEP Special

Representative for Ogoniland, Permanent

Secretaries of the Federal Ministries of

Environment and Petroleum Resources, and other

stakeholders, include the amendment of the

Official Gazette establishing the Hydrocarbon

Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) to reflect

a new governance framework comprising a

Governing Council, a Board of Trustees and

Project Management.

The President further approved that the HYPREP

Governing Council should be composed as

follows:

Ministry of Petroleum Resources -

One Representative

Federal Ministry of Environment -

One Representative

Impacted States (Rivers) -

One Representative

Oil Companies & NNPC -

4 Representatives

Ogoniland -

2 Representatives

United Nations System                              -

One Representative

Secretariat -

Headed by Project Manager

He also approved the composition of a Board of

Trustees for the HYPREP Trust Fund as follows:

Federal Government -

One Representative

NNPC -

One Representative

International Oil Companies -

One Representative

Ogoniland -

One Representative

United Nations System -

One Representative

Following a meeting held on the directive of

President Buhari, it was also agreed that a

contribution deposit of 10 million United States

dollars will be made by stakeholders within 30

days of the appointment of members of the

Board of Trustees for the Trust Fund who will

be responsible for collecting and managing funds

from contributors and donors.

A new implementation template has also been

evolved at the instance of  President Buhari, and

the environmental clean-up of Ogoniland will

commence in earnest with the President's

inauguration of the HYPREP Governing Council

and the Board of Trustees for the Trust Fund.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

August 5, 2015

FEMI ADESINA

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