Poluted environment

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni, People, MOSOP, has given the Federal Government till December 2017 to commence the clean-up of Ogoniland in Rivers State.

MOSOP said failure to do so, the Nigerian Government should “be ready to face the anger of the people.”

The leading Ogoni group decried FG’s continued delay in starting the exercise after it was flagged off a year ago,

Secretary of the Ogoni Martyrs Day Planning Committee, Bari-ara Kpalap, addressing journalists in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital during a briefing to mark the 21st Memorial Anniversary of Ogoni sons killed during the struggle for the development of the Ogoni people, warned that the “lives of the Ogoni people would be endangered should the Federal Government continue to foot drag on the exercise.”

He explained that the oil spills in the area had affected the soil and the people’s source of water.

He added, “Our expectations have not been met because since June 2, 2016 to date, we cannot point to anything concrete that the Federal Government has done.

“The flag- off was done in June 2016 and they did another groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the integrated contaminated soil management. As we speak, construction or clean-up of the area is in comatose.”