Ogoni Survival Movement slams group for seeking HYREP coordinator removal

The Ogoni Survival Movement (OSM) has condemned in all its entirety calls for the removal of Dr. Marvin Dekil, the Co-ordinator of the Hydro Carbon Remediation Project (HYREP) by faceless groups referring to themselves as the ‘National Youth Council of Ogoni People’ and the ‘Ogoni Youth Coalition Movement’ describing such as mischievous, malicious, preposterous, unfounded and egregious in all negative ramifications and must be condemned in its entirety by right thinking and well meaning members of society including the stoic and peace loving Ogoni people.

Clarifying further, the OSM in a communiqué signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Johnson Wibe and made available to newsmen in Port-Harcourt stated that: ‘The achievements of the Hydro Carbon Remediation Project (HYREP) otherwise known as the Ogoni Oil Spill Clean Up Project under the leadership of the Project Co-ordinator, Dr. Marvin Dekil, a renowned environmental expert has been commended by numerous international environmental and conservation groups including the Greenpeace Movement, the World Wide Life Fund, the Friends of the Earth, the Habitat for All Foundation, the Agenda Against Climate Change amongst others due to the fact that HYREP has made appreciable progress in its ultimate objective of completely reversing the debilitating effects of oil exploration and exploitation in Ogoni land while engaging, enlightening, sensitizing and empowering the various communities that make up its area of assignment.

Any visitor to Ogoni land will attest to the fact that the cleanup process is moving at a frenetic pace, day and night and the vast majority of the indigenesare quite satisfied with the activities of the HYREPstaff and management which has contributed in no small measure to the peace and tranquility prevailing in the area, compared to other parts of River State that are witnessing increasing spates of cult related violence, kidnapping, illegal bunkering etc.

While the HYPREP management has ensured that the Ogoni ethnic nationality are fully involved and well represented in all activities of HYREP it must be emphasized that it should not be at the expense of or in total disregard of the tenets of transparency, accountability and due process . Those who feel that HYPREP was established for undue patronage, reckless award of contracts and the siphoning of government funds under the guise of empowering of the host community are not been fair to the Federal Government, the HYREP management or the Ogoni people themselves. If contracts are awarded to unqualified and unreliable contractors and they are not held accountable or properly monitored as to the prompt execution of those contracts, the Ogoni community will be the utmost losers. So we should stoutly resist any attempt by selfish or misguided elements to derail the laudable objectives of the federal government in setting up HYREP.

The Ogoni people should discourage any willful or self centered attempts by certain mischievous individuals or groups in their midst to once again sow division, rancor, acrimony and even violence in our land, rather we should all join hands with the HYREP management led by the energetic Dr. Marvin Dekil and all well meaning Ogoni politicians, elders, traditional rulers, professionals and leaders of thought to ensure that the total verifiable and irreversible clean up of the Ogoni environment is achieved for the benefit of our generation, our childrens generation and generation yet unborn. To God be the glory— the OSM communiqué concluded.