‘Ogoniland oil spill cleanup will boost Nigeria’s economy’

The commencement of the Ogoniland oil spill cleanup till its conclusion will be a major boost to the oil and other sectors of the nation’s economy.

Stakeholders on environment made the remark yesterday in Abuja at the 2ndannual summit on the Niger Delta Cleanup themed, “Ogoni Cleanup: Environment, Wellness and the Community.”

It was organised by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) and the Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid (Cordaid).

Speaking at the opening of the summit, the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said that government’s response over the years, characterized by legal, military, project and agency responses have failed to arrest the underdevelopment and degradation of the region.

According to him, any approach for the development of the Niger Delta must focus on three issues: human development, justice and equity.

Also, the acting Executive Director of the CentreLSD, Mr. Monday Osasah, said that once the route to environmental wellbeing begins, it becomes easy to carry out.

“The postponement of the cleanup commencement and non-completion of the emergency measures does not portend good for the people of Niger Delta and the country at large particularly with the availability of the sum of $180m in the project account,” Osasah said.

The Coordinator, Cordaidprogrammes in Nigeria, Dr. Akin Oke, commended the political will to undertake the cleanup, but regretted that the exercise is painfully slow.