The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has promised to guide ex-artisanal Refiners in Ogoni towards earning a proper alternative livelihood.
The project coordinator of HYPREP, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, who said that at a sensitisation forum tagged “Clean-up: Gains, Sustainability and Prosperity of Ogoniland,” held in Eleme LGA, also appealed to them not to further engage in acts of re-polluting the environment.
The coordinator who was represented by the director of technical services, Prof. Damian-Paul Aguiyi, enumerated the damage done to the land by engaging in illegal bunkering and related activities, noting that the objective of the programme was to completely move perpetrators away from the previous acts of environmental pollution and guide them towards a proper cause for livelihood changes.
The Professor commended the Ex-Artisanal refiners for heeding the call for attitudinal change in livelihood choices and reiterated HYPREP’s willingness to work with the youths and Ex-Artisanal refiners to ensure there are no more active artisanal refining activities in the area.
“So, we are encouraging you to keep doing what you are currently doing, and we will continue to engage you according to the commitment we made to give you specialised training. You will have significant advantages and alternative livelihoods that will make you stay away from artisanal refining forever”, he stated.
Also speaking, one of the facilitators of the Ex Artisanal Refiners Sensitisation Programme, Dr Elvis Ikoma, said the event was a continuation of previous efforts to stop re-pollution, adding that the group has recorded significant successes in sensitising the youths since its inception.
HYPREP has continued to engage ex-artisanal refiners in its efforts to provide them with alternative, sustainable livelihoods while consolidating the gains of the Ogoni Cleanup Programme.
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