Group Condemns Call For Environment Minister’s Sacking

A group, the Joint Ogoni Youth and Stakeholders Council (JOYSC), has condemned the call by one Mr Theophilous Alaye, for the sacking of the minister of Environment, Balarade Lawal and the project coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey.

JOYSC, which is a conglomeration of youth leaders and critical stakeholders drawn from across the six kingdoms in Ogoniland, made the condemnation in a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday.

The statement, which was signed by the group’s coordinator, Comrade Felix Zor-ol, insisted that the only  recognised president of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) is Mr. Jonathan Lokpobiri and not Alaye, who claimed to be speaking for the IYC.

It stated that the funds earmarked for the Ogoni cleanup were not allocations from the Federal Government.

The statement reads; “The Joint Ogoni Youth and Stakeholders Council, a conglomeration of youth leaders and critical stakeholders drawn from across the six Ogoni kingdoms, strongly condemns the recent call for the sack of the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and the Honourable Minister of Environment by one Mr. Theophilous Alaye, who claims to be speaking under the guise of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC).

“To the best of our knowledge, the recognized President of the Ijaw Youth Council is Mr. Jonathan Lokpobiri, under whose leadership the IYC has maintained a cordial and productive working relationship with Ogoni youths and stakeholders.

“It is on record that our son, Dr. Legborsi Yamaabana, President-General of the Ogoni Youth Federation, serves as the Spokesperson of the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Forum, a body in which Mr. Lokpobiri served as Chairman. This further underscores the longstanding spirit of cooperation and mutual respect between Ogoni and Ijaw youths.

“For the avoidance of doubt, while we are not opposed to the Ijaw people or any other Niger Delta ethnic nationality advocating for the remediation of their polluted environments, it is important to clearly state that the funds earmarked for the Ogoni cleanup are not allocations from the Federal Government.

“Rather, they are Ogoni funds, paid by the International Oil Companies (IOCs) responsible for the pollution of our land, strictly in line with the Polluter Pays Principle. These funds are exclusively meant for the restoration and remediation of the severely devastated Ogoniland, following decades of reckless oil and gas exploration.

“Consequently, these funds cannot and should not be diverted or applied to remediate Ijaw land or any other part of the Niger Delta.”

The group, which called on Alaye to immediately withdraw his misleading comments and refrain from making further statements capable of heating up the polity, urged him and others to always verify facts before speaking on sensitive issues that concern the Niger Delta and its diverse ethnic nationalities.

The statement commended Environment Minister for providing the necessary policy direction and oversight that have contributed to the relative success of the project, as well as the HYPREP coordinator for the visible progress and commendable delivery recorded so far on the Ogoni cleanup project.