As the World Environment Day takes the centre stage globally; the level of work done on the Ogoni Cleanup in Rivers State has been receiving critical reviews.

For instance; the Social Development Integrated Centre, otherwise known as Social Action, which is one of the group involved in environmental activities in Nigeria, has said nothing in on ground to show that the actual cleanup would begin in August.

The Social Action said it welcomes a statement credited to the Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP; MARVIN DEKIL sometime in April that the Ogoni cleanup would start in August this year.

It said the statement was also confirmed by the Minister of State for Environment, JUBRIL USMAN, while briefing newsmen in Abuja on the 2018 World Environment Day. 

The Research and Progamme Officer of Social Action, FYNEFACE DUMNAMENE, observed in a statement that the government agencies do not appear prepared for the cleanup exercise.

FYNEFACE noted that seven years after the release of the UNEP Report on the Ogoni cleanup and two years after the formal flag-off of the implementation, it was doubtful that HYPREP could undertake a credible and successful cleanup that meets international standard.

He said field monitoring report done by Social Action shows that HYPREP would not be ready for the Ogoni cleanup programme even by December this year because some of the key recommendations in the UNEP Report were yet to be put in place.

Key among what is lacking is Contaminated Soil Treatment Centre, of which the foundation was laid in February 2017 by former Minister of Environment and current Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, AMINA MUHAMMED.

FYNEFACE DUMNAMENE noted that the centre located in Bori has been abandoned by HYPREP and overgrown with weeds since AMINA MUHAMMED left office.

This year’s World Environment Day is being observed based on the theme “Beat Plastic Pollution”, with the main event organized by the United Nations Environment Programme taking place in India.