Ogoni Clean-up: Group Accuses Contractors  Abandoning N80bn Contract

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Some Ogoni indigenes under the aegis of Ogoni Peoples Assembly (OPA),have blacklisted 29 contractors working for the HydroCarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) over alleged projects abandonment. 

The contractors are among 39 who were handed over 39 oil polluted sites for remediation on April 27, 2023 for the duration of  two years. 

OPA Leader, Probel Williams, who raised the alarm in a statement in Port Harcourt, yesterday said only  two per cent of the contractors have made significant progress while the rest are foot dragging and are yet to even mobilised to site.

This situation, the group said, was unacceptable and “can no longer continue to be silent in the face of clear sabotage and lack of technical capacity by the contractors.”

They therefore, called for the revocation of their sureties, performance bonds and APG within next seven  days and process initiated for their “de-qualifications and delisting from any further contracts with HYPREP or any government agency in Nigeria for lack of performance and gross incompetence.”

They listed some of the contractors and allotment numbers, saying that it was unbelievable that they had not shown any significance progress and presence on site.

The OPA declared; “The above companies are declared persona non-granta in Ogoniland and EFCC should as a matter of urgency go after them to recover the 30 per cent mobilisation funds given to them for over one year for lack of performance and experience.

“We are also giving the shoreline and water project contractors seven days to mobilise to site or we shall publish their names and declare them persona non-granta.”

They queried how any registered company should receive 30% mobilisation from HYPREP and only 1% is on site out of all of the 39 contractors?

The group said is unacceptable, stressing that the people of Ogoni will stop at nothing to hunt and haunt the said contactors to return the monies to the Ogoni Trust Funds.

“This evil to our people and Ogoni must stop forthwith as Ogoni cleanup cannot be allowed to become a failed project and another cash cow of the plutocrats and aristocrats as some government contracts used to be and covered under the carpet. The time to expose all failed companies and hand picked contractors from Abuja is now.

The OPA called on the Minister of Environment, Mallam Balarabe Lawal and the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who they claimed were not part of the failed contracts and dubious selection of those contractors to stop the cover up.

They urged them to immediately revoke and call up the performance bond and APG to recover the 30% paid to the alleged contractors totaling about 80billion naira from the HYPREP account for over a year now. 

They further warned; “And let us warn that after 7 days from this notice, we shall mobilise the entire concerned Ogonis against these companies if the APG and performance bond of these dubious companies are not cancelled and revoked and awarded to credible and competent contractors that have track records and evidence of similar jobs”.