Rep seeks inclusion of NNPC in Ogoni clean up
Chairman House of Representatives, Special Committee on Nigeria/USA Parliamentary Relations, Rep. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma on Monday demanded the inclusion of the Research and Development Department of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) by the Ministry of Environment in the Ogoni cleanup exercise.
Rep. Agbonayinma, who represents Egor/Ikpoba Oha Federal Constituency of Edo state, in an interview with journalists, said that “it is out of place for the ministry to award contracts of that magnitude without including the research and development department of the NNPC that is the indigenous company.
“If the NNPC is incompetent to perform that role then the federal government should as a matter of urgency dissolves the agency because it is unheard for outsiders who don’t understand our terrain to carry out such an exercise.
“If we must carry out the exercise as it is, after all contracts have been awarded without our NNPC then there must be an immediate review of the contracts as Nigerians may not know how it was conducted,” the lawmaker stated.
He further stated that “the ministry did not weigh the implications of not including the agency and that is why the House will urgently look into the matter immediately we resume from our recess if nothing is done before then.
“I consider the action a slap on all well meaning Nigerians to view the action of the ministry as highly misplaced”.
Our correspondent recalls that immediately President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015, he promised to ensure that Ogoni land is cleaned up from the ravages of crude oil exploration.
