We’ll not be distracted by politics over Ogoni cleanup —FG

The Federal Government has said it will not be distracted by political sentiments being raised by some politicians over current efforts to clean up oil polluted sites in Ogoniland.

Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibrin, who gave the assurance on Monday,  in Port Harcourt, acknowledged the rights of politicians to hold and propagate whatever view they liked in a democracy, saying that the Federal Government would continue to collaborate with the Rivers State government on the cleanup of Ogoniland.

The Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has, since coming into of office in May 2015, demonstrated determination to commence with the cleanup of oil polluted sites in Ogoniland, going beyond the establishment of a governing council to actual launching of the exercise in June 2016.

But as it has been with every other important matter in Rivers State with the coming of the 2015 political dispensation, politicians in the state are disagreeing over the modalities for the implementation of the United Nation`s Environmental Programme (UNEP) recommended exercise.

But in his reaction, the Minister of State for Environment said “Rivers State government, as a legal entity, has a role to play in this clean up exercise. We are coming into their backyard. There is no way you can sneak in without some measure of cooperation from the state government. We will work with the state government as long as it is ready to help to sensitise the people.”

And we believe it is ready to help; there is no doubt in our minds that this is above politics, those who want to play politics, we can stop them, this is democracy, there is freedom of expression and freedom speech, but that will not distract us from doing what is right for the people Ogoniland.”

He also assured that the Federal Government would continue to engage Ogoni youths to see reasons to own and protect the clean-up exercise.

Meanwhile the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) and traditional rulers of Ogoni have pledged commitment to working together for a peaceful implementation of the Ogoni clean-up programme expected to commence this January.

The traditional rulers spoke during a series of meetings with Ogoni members HYPREP governing council led by President of MOSOP, Legborsi Pyagbara.

Speaking at the palaces of the Gbenemene of Tai, HRM, G.N.K. Gininwa who is also the leader of the Ogoni Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers, Pyagbara assured Ogoni people that the clean-up of Ogoniland would commence within few weeks beginning with the implementation of some emergency measures which included provision of water.

He called for the cooperation of traditional rulers for peace to be sustained in Ogoniland during and after the cleanup exercise.

In their separate responses, the traditional rulers all pledged to support the process and called for transparency in the process.

The traditional rulers commended the initiative of the team to work with them and hoped that the employment generated through the cleanup implementation will help to mitigate the increasing restiveness in the area.

“My President, I am in support of everything you are doing to promote the interest of the Ogoni people” King G.N.K Gininwa, chairman of the Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers told the MOSOP President and his team.

“The day we met with the President in Abuja to discuss the cleanup of Ogoniland, I remembered Ken Saro-Wiwa and I wept in my hotel room” King Gininwa said.