Samuel Bello, Abuja
The Federal Government has revealed plans to wrap up measures for the cleanup of the devastated and degraded areas of Ogoniland due to the activities of oil companies.
Minister of State for Environment Ibrahim Jubril made the disclosure at the World Environment Day commemoration, with the theme, “Beat Plastic Pollution, with action call to “love your environment” in Abuja.
Jubril stated that about 140 contractors had been considered for the cleanup process, adding that by August 2018, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) would give approval for any given remediation consultancy.
“We have more than 400 contractors who indicated first and they are doing their analysis, which is completed now. and preliminary figures are giving us a figure of about 140 that are prequalified,” he said.
“These are the ones that when we finally get the figures, we would invite them to submit their financial duty and that process would continue in the whole of June-July, and we hope that by August we should be able to get to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to give approval for whatever remediation consultancy that we give.
“About three weeks ago, the board of trustees was able to sign an ESCO agreement, and in the presence of the Vice President. All these are geared towards getting the ESCO account to be open and joint partners are now at the last stage of populating their account with the amount that would be used for the cleaning process itself.”
The minister, also speaking on the high point of the event, said the federal government is presently working on a national policy on Plastic Waste Management to regulate the use and disposal of plastics in the country.
He added that the ministry in collaboration with critical stakeholders has developed a national strategy for the phase-out of non-biodegradable plastics, while at the same time implementing a National Plastic Waste Recycling Programme to establish plastic waste recycling plants across the country in partnership with state governments.
Jubril charged Nigerians to avoid the indiscriminate disposal of waste plastic bags, pure water plastics and bottles into habitats, streams, canals, rivers and and the sea.