Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF) Worldwide, an umbrella body of Ogoni youths in Rivers State, has thanked the Federal Government for the ongoing clean-up of Ogoni land.
The association gave the commendation on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, when it gave an Award of Outstanding Performance to the Minister of Environment, Mr Mohammed Abdullahi, in Abuja.
The President-General of OYF, Chief Legborsi Yamaabana, who presented the award, said it was in recognition of Abdullahi’s keen interest and commitment to implementing the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland.
Yamaabana also said the gesture was an expression of gratitude over the success of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
According to him, the HYPREP is one of Federal Government’s strategic intervention initiatives, which essence and significance cannot not be over-emphasised.
He also recognised the efforts of other past ministers of the ministry in the struggle to keep the Ogoni people safe.
“We commend successive honourable ministers of environment, who at different times, made their contributions, while superintending over this ministry and the Ogoni clean-up project.
“We, however, want to emphatically stress here that, under your watch as the Minister of Environment and the supervising Minister of the Ogoni Cleanup Project, several uncommon milestones are being achieved.
“From the Ogoni power project, to the recently-approved Specialist Hospital and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, you have proven to all that indeed you are the square peg for this square responsibility,” the youth leader said.
He specially thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, for keeping his promise to the Ogoni people, as well as his gracious approval of funds for the project.
Responding, Abdullahi thanked the youths for the recognition and encouragement, and promised that many groundbreaking projects would be inaugurated before the end of his tenure.
The minister, therefore, urged for the support of the youths to continue to keep the South-South safe and habitable.
By Abigael Joshua
