Ogoni Community Urges FG and Shell to Implement UNEP Report Before Oil Exploration

The Ogoni people of Rivers State have called on the federal government and Shell to fully implement the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recommendations on the cleanup of Ogoniland before any new oil exploration activities commence.

According to reports from THISDAYLIVE, the demand was made during a meeting with the Federal Government Technical Committee on the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) in Port Harcourt.

The Ogoni community emphasized the need for the full implementation of the UNEP recommendations, which they believe are crucial to the restoration and sustainable development of Ogoniland.

The UNEP report, released in 2011, identified widespread pollution of the environment and health hazards in Ogoniland as a result of decades of oil exploration and spillages.

The Ogoni people have long been at the forefront of campaigns for environmental justice and the cleanup of their polluted land. The community has suffered significantly from the pollution caused by oil activities, with health issues and loss of livelihoods being among the most pressing concerns.

The federal government and Shell have not yet responded to the Ogoni community’s demand for the implementation of the UNEP recommendations before any new oil exploration activities commence. However, the implementation of the recommendations is seen as a key step towards restoring the Ogoni environment and ensuring the community’s long-term health and wellbeing.