The Federal Government has designed policies and procedures to incorporate stakeholder consultations into the Ogoni clean-up programmes.
Project Coordinator, Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Dr. Marvin Barinem Dekil, who made the disclosure during a workshop organised for Ogoni Elected Representatives, stated that the policies and procedures would also incorporate stakeholder consultations into the activities of HYPREP.
The flagship two-day workshop was tagged” “Ogoni Clean-up: Implementing the UNEP Report”.
Dekil informed the lawmakers that HYPREP is adopting a consultation process which is transparent and inclusive. He added that stakeholders’ engagements were not just organised for its face value but was considered as a core component of the Project whereby opinions of stakeholdersform inputs in the implementation process of the Project.
He stressed that greater transparency and involvement of stakeholders enhances trust, project acceptance, and local ownership, which are key to project sustainability and development outcomes.
Dekil said that, as a people’s Project, HYPREP needed the full support of the representatives of the people. He expressed appreciation to the participants for creating time to attend the workshop and their commitment to the people whom they represent.
He assured that HYPREP would continue to engage and work with the lawmakers towards the successful implementation of the clean-up project and full realication of the HYPREP mandate in Ogoniland.
The workshop was a Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum organised by HYPREP to engage the policy makers for informed decision-making and good governance as well as capture their views and perceptions as inputs to improved project design and implementation.
The workshop which attracted the Senatorial District Representatives, House of Assembly Members and Local Government Chairmen from the four Local Government Areas of Ogoni, featured presentations from different units of the project on updates on: Activities of HYPREP, “Understanding Remediation”, “Key Performance Indicators for Effective Project Monitoring and Evaluation: the Place of Oversight”, “Litigation as Obstruction to the Clean-up Process”, “Identifying and Dealing with Security Threats in the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project” and “Effective Communication and Community Participation”.
Speaking on behalf of the elected members, Barieenee Deeyah expressed appreciation to the Project Coordinator and Management of HYPREP for the level of work so far carried out by HYPREP, but however said that the joy of the lawmakers will be full when HYPREP has fulfilled its mandate and remediated the identified polluted sites in Ogoniland
As part of activities for the workshop, the elected members were scheduled to visit some of the sites currently being remediated across the four Local Government Areas of Tai, Eleme, Khana and Gokana.
