The Senate yesterday said it will probe the implementation of the Ogoni Clean-up project launched last year by President Muhammadu Buhari to address the environmental challenges faced by the people in the Niger Delta region.
This was sequel to a motion tagged: “Motion on World Environment Day”, which was moved by Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central), calling for awareness and protection of the environment.
Tinubu lamented that in spite of the recent launch of the Ogoni Clean-up Campaign, it does appear that work had not commenced on site.
She noted that the people of Ogoni were suffering serious environmental issues which have caused lack of food and impeded the social well-being of the people.
The ex-first lady of Lagos state further called on government at all levels to create a feasible framework for realization of the protection of environment with a view to safeguarding the health of the citizenry.
She observed critically that the main purpose of the Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure a clean environment, hygiene and urban development among others, and to combat climate change and its adverse effects
Ruling on the motion, the Senate President Bukola Saraki directed the senate committee on environment to quickly commence investigation to unravel the causes of the delay and or non-commencement of the Ogoni Clean-up project.
It could be recalled that President Buhari launched the kick-off of the Ogoni Clean-up programme as contained in the United Nations Environment Programme Report (UNEP) on June 2, 2016.
Also the former Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, assured Nigerians that the federal government is not playing politics with the Ogoni clean-up exercise; stressing that the funds for the project are intact.
However, several environmental rights groups have expressed concern over the manner in which the federal government is handling the Ogoni clean-up process.
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