Professor Yemi Osinbajo

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday in Abuja, has said that the Federal Government will further award contracts to interested companies to clean up the entire Ogoni community.

Osinbajo, who was represented by Mr Edward Iyamu, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta,
made the declaration at the “High Level Advocacy Workshop on Clean-Up of the Niger Delta.”

The workshop was organised by the Centre for Leadership Strategy and Development (Centre LSD).

The vice president said 21 companies that had already secured contracts would not be enough to address remediation clean-up process in the entire Niger Delta.

According to him, it will take 25 to 30 years to restore Ogoni environment.

He added that the initial one billion dollars would be a take-off fund for the clean-up exercise.

The Minister of Environment, Mr Suleiman Hassan, called on relevant stakeholders to cooperate with the Federal
Government to effectively carry out the clean-up.

The minister, who was represented by Mrs Aanu Sodeko-Basil, the Deputy Director in the ministry, said such effort would enhance and fast track government’s efforts in the region.

Chief Suanu Bariclea, the Chairman of the Coalition of Traditional Rural Association (COTRA), commended the
Federal Government for prompt action toward the clean-up of Ogoni land.

Bariclea said that the communities in the region were ready to support stakeholders for the progress of the exercise.

Mr Monday Osasah, the acting Executive Director, Centre for Leadership Strategy and Development, said that the
workshop was part of activities to achieve healthy and sustainable environment in the Niger Delta.

According to him, the centre is guided by the values, transparency and accountability, integrity and diversity of the
human person and Pan-Africanism.