The Federal Government has said money meant for the clean-up
of Ogoniland is not for sharing, but for investment that will ultimately lead
to the restoration of Ogoniland.
The Minister of Environment, Mrs. Amina Mohammed, who made
this remark during the launch of an integrated soil management centre on
Thursday in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, explained that
1,200 Ogoni women would be trained in order to be part of the clean-up process.
She stated that women made a lot of sacrifices and carried a
lot of burden that had contributed to the decision to clean up Ogoniland.
Mohammed also appealed to the people of Niger Delta to stop
any act that would continue to pollute the area and added that the economy of
the oil-rich region would not be diversified if pollution continued in the
area.
Describing the clean-up as a collective effort, the minister
maintained that all hands must be on deck for a successful clean-up of the
region.
“There are many people who have benefited from the injustice
and misery in Ogoniland and we will not allow them to do that again. This
project is a collective effort; we must ensure that we succeed. We are not here
to be sharing money, but to invest money.
“What are we going to give you after the clean-up, it is to
provide job for you. That is the reason we want to keep this place clean.
President (Muhammadu) Buhari has talked about the diversification, but the way
we are polluting the environment here, there is no diversification for Niger
Delta.
“There would be no diversification of the economy of Niger
Delta if we continue to pollute the environment; we are pleading, let today be
a new era in the Niger Delta. We must stay clean after the clean-up,” she said.
Mohammed pointed out that the launch of the integrated soil
management centre was part of the implementation of the recommendations of the
United Nations Environment Programme on Ogoniland.
She explained that President Muhammadu Buhari was committed
to the development of Niger Delta, adding that steps taking towards the
clean-up of Ogoniland were part of the campaign promises of the current
administration.
Mohammed urged traditional leaders, youths and civil society
groups to support the Federal Government to succeed in restoring Ogoni
environment.
“The development of Ogoniland is the priority of this
administration under the leadership of
President Muhammadu Buhari. This is one of his campaign promises. This
is the recognition of the fight, struggle, and injustice to Ogoni people.
“What we want to do is to start something that in the next
five years, people will attest to government effort. In the next 20 years, we
will restore Ogoniland to where it was years ago,” she said.
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