Ogoni clean up set to begin as FG gets $180m for oil coys

The much-anticipated clean-up of Ogoni land may soon begin as
the federal government has been able to mobilize about $180 million
for the exercise.

Consequently, 21 successful companies have been shortlisted to
move to a site in the coming weeks.

This is according to the Minister of Environment, Ibrahim
Jibrin, who disclosed while briefing State House correspondents on
the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja meeting on Wednesday. that
the money was sourced from oil companies.

The minister explained that the oil companies gave the funds
because of their confidence in the government and governance
structures that are put in place.

He revealed that the money has been lodged in an escrow account
in the Chartered Bank of London.

According to him, “the opening of the Ogoni Trust Fund will be
able to mobilize $180 million from the oil companies.

“Right from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),
Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and the (joint) ventures
companies, they have mobilized $180 million. It is in an escrow
account with the Standard Chartered Bank of London and the Board of
Trustees is managing that.

“So, as far as we are concerned, we can beat our chest and say
that the Buhari administration has shown the way forward on this
clean-up exercise and we hope and pray that the people whom we are
working for will have cause to laugh and smile very soon.”

Jibrin said that the shortlisting of qualified companies which
had been ongoing for a couple of weeks now, has been concluded,
saying: “I can confidently tell you that before the end of this
month, in the next weeks, there will be 21 companies that will be
mobilised to site to start the work.”

The minister added that the Ministerial Tender Board had
considered the submission of the procurement department of
Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and 15 lots are
available to be awarded.

He said that the governing council of the Ogoni Trust Fund will
meet to ratify the submission with the hope that the contractors
will be mobilized to site next week or after.

The minister stated: “There are some other five lots. Because we
have 21 in this first segment that are beyond the reach of the
Ministerial Tender Board and the Governing Council, that one will
go to the Federal Executive Council,

“We have already written to BPP for ‘no-objection’ and we hope
to get the ‘no-objection’ hopefully by next week. So, the next two
weeks those five lots will be presented to the Federal Executive
Council for approval. So, I can assure you that we are on course
and there is no going back on the Ogoni clean up.”

The minister also revealed that FEC has approved the
ratification of the Doha Amendment of the Kyoto Protocol,
concerning the United Nations framework conventions on climate
change.

He explained: “The Kyoto Protocol was crafted in 2004 and
Nigeria is a party to that. The initial period of commitment of the
protocol was from 2008-2012. The new segment now is from
2013-2020.

“The essence of this protocol is to commit advanced countries or
developed countries that are mostly industrialized and are at the
forefront of the production of gaseous emission which is harmful to
the environment.”

FEC approve the award of a contract for the procurement,
installation and commissioning of Instrument Landing Systems to
better guide aircraft pilots in bad weather and night at Kaduna,
Abuja, Benin, Ibadan and Enugu airports.

First awarded in December 2011 for N1.5billion, no financial
provision was made for it.

According to the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, it
has now been re-awarded for N3.149billion in line with the new
foreign exchange rate.

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola,
announced the approval of cost variation for Ilorin-Omuaran-Kabba
road that was initially awarded for N13.541billion in 2013 but
re-awarded now at a cost N29.95billion, thus making a cost
variation of N13.54billion.

Also approved for the Ministry was a N14.01 billion contract for
construction of the 73km stretch of road from Odukpani junction up
Apet, in Cross River State. It is a section of the expressway that
extends Calabar-Itu to Ogoja and Gakem in the same State.

Fashola disclosed that there would be massive road construction
across the country from now up till May next year in order to take
advantage of the dry season.

The Minister of the Interior, Abdurahman Danbazzau, announced
the FEC’s approval of a contract of N272.4 million for the
procurement of 400 pieces of Beretta assault rifles with 20,000
rounds of ammunition for Nigerian Prisons Service, towards
preventing jailbreaks and strengthening maximum security prisons
across the country.

Danbazzau said: “There is a need to secure all our prisons
particularly where we have inmates that require maximum security.
If you recalled not too long a go our prison in Minna was attacked
from the outside and some of the dangerous prisoners freed.

“The prison has an armed squad. But we realise after an
investigation of that attack that one of the major shortcomings
within that prison was lack of adequate arms and ammunition.”