NNPC to partner stakeholders in restoring Ogoni land

A portion of land affected by oil spil in Niger Delta

NNPC to partner stakeholders in restoring Ogoni land

The Nigerian National Petroleum Commission (NNPC) has pledged to work with the organisation’s Joint Venture partners to recover Ogoni land and give life back to the community.  

This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by the Group General Manger, Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Mr Levi Ajuonuma.

 The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr Austen Oniwon,

The pledge comes days after the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) final report on environmental assessment of Ogoni land was released.

Mr Oniwon made the pledge when he met with representatives of Shell, Total, Agip and Chevron in response to the UN report. 

Restoring Ogoni land

“We must come together to fashion out a common and unified approach to address the key recommendations contained in the UN report on Ogoni land,’’Oniwon said .

Mr Oniwon gave assurance that a committee would be set up to study and evaluate the report with a view to bringing back the glory of Ogoni land.  

It was noted that the stakeholders’ meeting on the report was a testimony of the importance attached to it, and that oil companies were not out to damage the environment in which they operated. 

However, he warned oil companies operating in Ogoni land and other parts of the country to ensure the protection of the environment in which they operated.

The outcome of UN report

The UN report detailed the outcome of a 14-month assessment of contaminated land, water sediment, vegetation, air quality, public health, industry practices and institutional issues in Ogoni land as a result of the activities of oil companies. 

The report was submitted to Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan, in Abuja Nigeria’s capital, recently.

President Jonathan had earlier pledged to look into it critically with a view to addressing the issues raised.  

NAN/Chiamaka/Williams