Omo, e don dey hot for Ogoniland! The fisherfolk wey dey from Gbee, K-Dere, and Nweemuu don talk say their fish and periwinkles still dey carry crude oil smell even as HYPREP dey try clean things up. Dem gather for one important meeting wey dem call ‘Restoring Rivers, Reviving Livelihoods, Renewing Lives’ wey happen for Kpor, Gokana Local Government Area.
All the notable stakeholders show face for the event. Dem get people from Ogoni fishing communities, HYPREP people, dem from University of Port Harcourt, civil society, and many others. Chief Nadabel John, Chief Emmanuel Pii, and Madam Grace Namon wey dey among the affected folks come talk how oil spill don spoil their farmlands, water, and vegetation.
Dem write am boldly: “When we catch fish and periwinkles, as we cook am, the smell wey dey come out na crude oil smell.” Na im the convener of the talk, Anuoluwapo Adelakun, wey be investigative journalist from Pulitzer Centre, come talk say this dialogue dey happen because of the wahala wey dey between HYPREP and the local community. She talk say independent research show that the water for their side dey contain heavy metals like nickel wey fit cause cancer. Na serious matter o!
She talk say: “We don carry sample from places like Bodo, K-Dere, Gbee, and Mogho. The result no sweet at all — high levels of heavy metals dey there. Children wey dey chop this fish and periwinkles, dem dey face serious illness wahala.” Omo, as HYPREP dey shout say dem don restore 70% mangrove and clean 20% shoreline, the families still dey consume contaminated seafood every day.
Wetin make sense be say Peter Lenu, Technical Assistant to the HYPREP Project Coordinator, come dey defend the cleanup talk. Him talk say periwinkles no suppose dey survive for areas wey dey heavily polluted, saying: “If fish dey survive for area wey carry crude oil, he don get wahala.” But we fit ask, how come dem dey harvest the seafood for that kind area?
Lenu come dey explain say the cleanup go take about 25-30 years as dem dey follow UN Environment Programme report. He come drop some sweet gist say dem get reading wey show say they don do well by reducing contamination from 20,000 mg/kg to just 277.5 mg/kg. We go believe? The man talk plenty change dey happen, but for the people wey dey eat the fish, the fear dey real as dem still dey face ongoing risk.
E no stop there o! HYPREP dey plan more things like ‘Enhanced Natural Attenuation’, and don carry contract for second phase go five communities. Plus dem dey depict say some of the wahala for the area fit come from agricultural runoff as dem dey plan health studies with World Health Organisation to monitor impact.
Plus all these cleaning work, dem don plant over 1.5 million mangrove seedlings wey dey cover 560 hectares. Lenu dey talk say cleanup dey go on top and mangroves go dey planted once dem certify say e don safe. But we still dey wonder, how far we go reach before Oganiland dey safe again?
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