President Muhammadu Buhari has averred that the cleanup of Ogoniland and other oil-impacted communities in the Niger Delta region would last for 20 years.
He made the disclosure on Thursday while inaugurating the Governing Council and the Board of Trustees of the Trust Fund for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project for the Implementation of the UNEP Report at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to Buhari, “The clean-up exercise is expected to go on for two decades. The first five years will address emergency response measures and remediation while the subsequent years will look to restore the ecosystems in the Delta.
“The governance framework we lay today, following extensive consultations, will form the bedrock for sustainability for years to come.
“Together we will be able to transform what is today a tragic tale of desolation and destruction to one of restoration and opportunity for the coming generations. The expertise and technology exist to make this a reality.
“In the end, this project will serve as the ‘gold standard’ for the cleanup of similar pollution in other parts of the Niger Delta, and the world at large.”
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