THE much-anticipated clean-up of Ogoni land may soon begin as the federal government has been able to mobilise about $180 million for the exercise.
Consequently, 21 successful companies have been shortlisted to move to a site in the coming weeks.
This is according to the Minister of Environment, Ibrahim Jibrin, who disclosed while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja meeting on Wednesday. that the money was sourced from oil companies.
The minister explained that the oil companies gave the funds because of their confidence in the government and governance structures that are put in place.
He revealed that the money has been lodged in an escrow account in the Chartered Bank of London.
According to him, “the opening of the Ogoni Trust Fund will be able to mobilize $180 million from the oil companies.
“Right from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and the (joint) ventures companies, they have mobilized $180 million. It is in an escrow account with the Standard Chartered Bank of London and the Board of Trustees is managing that.
“So, as far as we are concerned, we can beat our chest and say that the Buhari administration has shown the way forward on this clean-up exercise and we hope and pray that the people whom we are working for will have cause to laugh and smile very soon.”
Jibrin said that the shortlisting of qualified companies which had been ongoing for a couple of weeks now, has been concluded, saying: “I can confidently tell you that before the end of this month, in the next weeks, there will be 21 companies that will be mobilised to site to start the work.”
The minister added that the Ministerial Tender Board had considered the submission of the procurement department of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and 15 lots are available to be awarded.
He said that the governing council of the Ogoni Trust Fund will meet to ratify the submission with the hope that the contractors will be mobilized to site next week or after.
The minister stated: “There are some other five lots. Because we have 21 in this first segment that are beyond the reach of the Ministerial Tender Board and the Governing Council, that one will go to the Federal Executive Council,
“We have already written to BPP for ‘no-objection’ and we hope to get the ‘no-objection’ hopefully by next week. So, the next two weeks those five lots will be presented to the Federal Executive Council for approval. So, I can assure you that we are on course and there is no going back on the Ogoni clean up.”
The minister also revealed that FEC has approved the ratification of the Doha Amendment of the Kyoto Protocol, concerning the United Nations framework conventions on climate change.
He explained: “The Kyoto Protocol was crafted in 2004 and Nigeria is a party to that. The initial period of commitment of the protocol was from 2008-2012. The new segment now is from 2013-2020.
“The essence of this protocol is to commit advanced countries or developed countries that are mostly industrialized and are at the forefront of the production of gaseous emission which is harmful to the environment.”
FEC approve the award of a contract for the procurement, installation and commissioning of Instrument Landing Systems to better guide aircraft pilots in bad weather and night at Kaduna, Abuja, Benin, Ibadan and Enugu airports.
First awarded in December 2011 for N1.5billion, no financial provision was made for it.
According to the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, it has now been re-awarded for N3.149billion in line with the new foreign exchange rate.
Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, announced the approval of cost variation for Ilorin-Omuaran-Kabba road that was initially awarded for N13.541billion in 2013 but re-awarded now at a cost N29.95billion, thus making a cost variation of N13.54billion.
Also approved for the Ministry was a N14.01 billion contract for construction of the 73km stretch of road from Odukpani junction up Apet, in Cross River State. It is a section of the expressway that extends Calabar-Itu to Ogoja and Gakem in the same State.
Fashola disclosed that there would be massive road construction across the country from now up till May next year in order to take advantage of the dry season.
The Minister of the Interior, Abdurahman Danbazzau, announced the FEC’s approval of a contract of N272.4 million for the procurement of 400 pieces of Beretta assault rifles with 20,000 rounds of ammunition for Nigerian Prisons Service, towards preventing jailbreaks and strengthening maximum security prisons across the country.
Danbazzau said: “There is a need to secure all our prisons particularly where we have inmates that require maximum security. If you recalled not too long a go our prison in Minna was attacked from the outside and some of the dangerous prisoners freed.
“The prison has an armed squad. But we realise after an investigation of that attack that one of the major shortcomings within that prison was lack of adequate arms and ammunition.”
