The Governing Council of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has pledged to speed up the implementation of the Ogoni oil spill clean-up programme following concerns over funding, flooding and access to some project sites.

The council made the commitment on Wednesday during an inspection of remediation and water projects in several Ogoni communities in Rivers State.

Leading the inspection, the council chairman, Prof. Nwibere Barinedum Michael, said the identified challenges were being addressed to ensure projects were delivered within their expected timelines.

Speaking after inspecting the Centre of Excellence in Gokana, Nwibere said the funding constraints affecting some contractors had begun to ease following the Federal Government’s approval and release of funds for the projects.

He explained that delays in some projects were linked to the procedures required for accessing project funds rather than deliberate inaction by contractors or officials.

Nwibere said the Governing Council had approved a funding request submitted by the Project Coordination Office, after which the request passed through the necessary government processes.

“As we speak now, to the glory of God and service to humanity, I think the funds are in now,” he said.

He added that the council could approve additional funding for projects where necessary and would work to facilitate outstanding approvals and obtain clarification on requests from the Project Coordinator.

The council chairman expressed optimism that the pace of project execution would improve after the completion of the council’s initial oversight activities.

On flooding and poor access to some project locations, particularly Lot 11 in Ogale, Eleme, Nwibere said the council would engage HYPREP Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, to find immediate solutions.

He said the council members would discuss the challenges with the Project Coordinator and work towards resolving them as quickly as possible.

Nwibere also praised the Centre of Excellence in Gokana, describing it as a major project with the potential to meet international standards.

He, however, said a sustainable management and maintenance structure must be established to ensure the facility remains useful to the people of Ogoni and beyond.

“It’s not just enough to come up with a wonderful piece of edifice like this. The most important question we need to address now is how do we sustain a project like this, how do we put it to use,” he said.

The inspection team also visited remediation sites in Agiakpori and Ogale, both in Eleme, as well as water projects in K-Dere and Bua Yeghe.