CSOs Defend HYPREP Leadership Against Protest Claims

Civil society organizations (CSOs) in Rivers State condemned a recent protest against the leadership of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), which was held in Abuja. The protest accused HYPREP of non-performance, but Mike Gbaral, speaking on behalf of the coalition, described the protest as a smear campaign against Professor Nenibarini Zabbei, the project coordinator.

The coalition, which includes organizations such as Rainbow Watch Development Centre and Kebetkache Women Development Resource Centre, stated that they do not oppose investigations into HYPREP's operations but reject the motives of the faceless groups behind the protest. They acknowledged the credible achievements of HYPREP under its current leadership and emphasized the need for a fair assessment of the remediation efforts in Ogoni land.

The coalition urged the public to discount the allegations and focus on the ongoing environmental recovery efforts, which they believe cannot be fully achieved within three years as recommended by the UNEP report.