FG to Clean Up Ogoniland

This Day

7 August 2011

FG to Clean Up Ogoniland

The federal government is considering taking over the responsibility for cleaning up Ogoniland in Rivers State, where oil spills from exploration by Shell Petroleum Development Corporation has damaged the ecosystem.

Government’s offer to clean up the environment came on the heels of the submission of the report of the Presidential Committee on Environmental, Survey and Clean-up of Ogoniland to President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday. Most Rev. Fr. Hassan Mathew Kukah headed the committee.

Minister of the Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Mailafiya, said in Abuja Saturday that the government was prepared to handle the implementation of the report and the cleaning up of Ogoniland.

The minister, during a visit to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, said the organisation would be responsible for the exercise, but she was not specific in what capacity.

“With the release of the report on oil pollution in Ogoniland, it is the responsibility of NOSDRA to handle such reasonability.