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HYPREP Invites Foreign Experts For Complex Sites Remediation
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has invited some foreign experts and companies to handle the remediation of high risk complex oil impacted sites in some parts of Ogoniland in Rivers State.
This indication came to the fore last Tuesday, when the Chairman of Haemers Technologies, a company based in Europe, Mr Jan Haemers, visited one of the complex sites in Alode Eleme Community, to take stock of the extent of work to be done and the level of contamination of the site.
Haemers and his team were taken to the polluted site by the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, and other officials of the project.
Speaking to newsmen at the site, Haemers said the HYPREP’s Project Coordinator had specifically invited him, adding that he had come to Nigeria to develop partnerships with HYPREP and to bring remediation technologies to this area, in particular, to clean up soil and groundwater contaminated sites, in full respect of the local communities.
He noted that in the course of the work, he would also bring some other aspects of the job to the table, adding that the job would essentially take some time.
He further indicated that the work would be done in such a way that the whole time would not be wasted, as standards would be deployed to show results on regular basis, stressing that his company would ensure that most of the work on site would be done by the local people in the Ogoni communities.
Describing pollution issues as a legacy problem, Haemers said some small part of his company’s vast technologies would also be deployed to the area, to actually develop the skills of the people, in such a way that they would be directly involved in the remediation work.
He hinted that technologies that have been deployed by his company, in other parts of the world, including Africa and remote parts of North and South America, that had faced similar challenges of contamination, would be brought to bear in Ogoniland in carrying out the remediation work.
According to him, the clean-up is expected to be done in such a way that it benefits the local people and would be done by them so that they can also develop their skills and be the driving force behind the whole remediation efforts.
Haemers, who hails from Belgium said he was actually at the Alode Eleme contaminated site to know the realistic time of commencing the project, adding that assessing the level of contamination of the site and equally carrying out the characterisation of the site are very important and necessary.
He said though he could not place his fingers on the actual time the work would commence, he expressed optimism that it would start as soon as possible.
“We have come here to bring up the concrete steps involved.How long this job will take, I do not know. Part of the job is also to assess. Thecharacterisation should not stop the remediation of what is already known”, he said.
On his part, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey said the remediation process in the Ogoni clean-up is structured into phases, namely; simple sites, medium range sites and high risk complex sites.
According to him, HYPREP is currently remediating the medium range sites and is getting ready to move into the complex sites.
He indicated that both soil and groundwater are contaminated in the complex sites, which are located in residential areas.
In places like that, Zabbey said, there is absolute need for less disturbance, saying, “HYPREP is determined to deploy the best innovative technology that can be found globally”.
The Project Coordinator hinted that the visit of Haemers and his team is a culmination of the visit of the Minister of Environment, with his delegation to Europe in February, to search for companies to handle the complex sites.
He noted that a couple of companies had been identified to carry out the remediation of the complex sites, adding, “We are asking them to come and do comprehensive assessment of the complex sites, to determine the extent of contamination”.
He said after the assessment, the companies would come up with the proper technology to use at the sites.
The Project Coordinator said HYPREP had delayed the remediation of the complex sites until this year because it wanted to carry out proper investigation of the sites, stressing that site investigation involves proper scoping of the sites.
Zabbey assured Ogoni people that their capacities would be built to ensure that they are directly involved in the remediation of the complex sites.
“ We have been reminding and assuring our local people that our eyes are on the ball to give them the best of what is available globally”, he said.
By: Donatus Ebi
President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of four new members to the Governing Council of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement yesterday, said the appointment is to fill existing vacancies and strengthen the board’s capacity.
The statement said the approved nominees are Mr. Olusegun Omosehin of the National Insurance Commission and Engr. Wole Ogunsanya of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria.
Tinubu also endorsed the nomination of Sam Onyechi, who represents the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum and Barrister Owei Oyanbo from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The President encouraged the new members to leverage their expertise and dedication to enhance local content development within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It added, “The nominations arose from the exit of previous institutional representatives from the Governing Council.
“The NCDMB Governing Council, established under Section 69 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, comprises representatives from key institutions.
“These include the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum, and the National Insurance Commission.”
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced plans to construct additional hostels, rehabilitate roads, and enhance power supply in the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).
NDDC’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this during a visit to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, yesterday by a delegation from the UNIPORT’s Governing Council.
Ogbuku stated that the NDDC had committed to upgrading facilities at UNIPORT as part of efforts to foster partnership with educational institutions across the Niger Delta.
According to him, the implementation of additional projects at the university forms part of a broader strategy to improve education standards in the region.
“Aside from the construction of new hostel blocks and installation of a 300 KVA solar inverter system, the NDDC will also facilitate more projects in the university.
“The commission will also deploy its engineers to assess the condition of UNIPORT’s roads and hostels for potential rehabilitation,” he said.
Ogbuku noted that upon completion, the projects would add to various initiatives previously undertaken by the commission at the university.
“These and other projects reflect our commitment to actualising President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the Niger Delta region,” he added.
He reaffirmed the NDDC’s dedication to fostering development and strengthening partnerships across the region.
Earlier, Sen. Mao Ohuanbunwa, Chairman of UNIPORT’s Governing Council, who led the delegation commended the current leadership of the NDDC for its achievements in accelerating development in the Niger Delta.
He highlighted the university’s infrastructural challenges, noting that it lacked adequate facilities to accommodate its growing student population, and appealed for the NDDC’s support in addressing the shortfall.
“Currently, UNIPORT has a total student population of about 50,000, while its hostel accommodation capacity can only cater for 5,000 students.
“We therefore urge the NDDC to assist in the construction of additional hostels, improve transportation facilities, and facilitate the acquisition of gas turbines to enhance power supply for our students,” Ohuanbunwa pleaded.
The Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, commended NDDC for its impactful projects across the Niger Delta and extended an invitation to the commission to participate in the institution’s forthcoming 50th anniversary celebrations.
The Senate has rejected a motion to rename the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters after the former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, late Prof Humphrey Nwosu.
Nwosu presided over the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was truncated by the former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).
The election which was won by the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, was adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the electoral history of Nigeria.
The motion to rename INEC after Nwosu was re-sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe yesterday after lawmakers threw it out last Wednesday.
Abaribe called for posthumous national honours to be conferred on Nwosu in recognition of his role in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
However, the proposal sparked a heated debate once again, with lawmakers deeply divided over Nwosu’s legacy.
Senator Osita Ngwu acknowledged that Nwosu operated under a military regime, which restricted his ability to announce the results.
He argued that “there was no way he would have announced the results with a gun to his head. That doesn’t change the fact that some of us see him as a hero.”
Senator Austin Akobundu, however, described it as most uncharitable for lawmakers to dismiss Nwosu’s contributions, insisting that he deserved a place in Nigeria’s hall of honour.
On the other hand, several senators like Senator Jimoh Ibrahim dismissed the idea outright, questioning why the Senate should honour someone who failed to announce the results insisting that “nothing should be named after him”.
Senator Cyril Fasuyi argued that history does not reward efforts, but only results.
“As long as he did not announce the result, whether under duress or not, I am against naming INEC headquarters after him,” he submitted.
Also, Senator Sunday Karimi criticised Nwosu for lacking the courage to speak out, while Senator Afolabi Salisu warned that immortalising him would undermine the memory of MKO Abiola, the widely accepted winner of the June 12, 1993, annulled election.
“Any attempt to do anything beyond a one-minute silence is to rubbish Abiola’s legacy,” he tendered.
After intense deliberation, most senators rejected the motion through a voice vote.
They, however, agreed to honour him with a one-minute silence and extend condolences to his family, effectively dismissing the other prayers to immortalise Nwosu.