Some Youth leaders in Ogoni, Rivers State, have given the Federal Government 24 hours, expiring on Monday, to reinstate the sacked Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey.

This ultimatum comes after the presidency, on Saturday, announced a leadership change at HYPREP, replacing Prof. Zabbey, an Ogoni native, with Dr. Olufemi Adekanbi.

The groups are threatening to cripple all project sites in Ogoni if the federal government does not reinstate Prof Zabbey.

On Sunday, representatives from the National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP), Ogoni Youths Federation, Ogoni Students Association Worldwide, and the Association of Ogoni Martyrs, among others, expressed their dissatisfaction. They argue that Ogoni has qualified individuals to run the project, which was initiated through the efforts and sacrifices of the Ogoni people without federal assistance.

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The youth leaders insisted that if the presidency did not reinstate Prof. Zabbey, whom they believed was performing well, they would have no choice but to shut down all project sites.

Brinuazor Emmanuel, NYCOP President, and Daniel Karakpon, National President of Ogoni Students Worldwide, spoke out, emphasising their commitment to resist the resumption of Dr Olufemi Adekambi, the newly appointed HYPREP Project Coordinator, who is set to start officially on Monday after his appointment began on Saturday, July 13.

Meanwhile, men and officers of the Rivers State police command have barricaded the area around Stadium Road, Port Harcourt, where the office is located.

The threat comes on the heels of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited recently declaring a state of emergency on crude oil production.

Nigeria’s crude oil production has been on the low in recent years, as the country has been unable to meet its Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries production quota of 1.5 million barrels per day.

The Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari, blamed the low production on pipeline vandalism and oil theft.

According to the Monthly Oil Market Report for July by OPEC, quoting direct sources, Nigeria’s oil production for June is 1.276 million barrels per day (bpd). The country’s oil production had fallen from 1.28mbpd in April to 1.25mbpd in May.

The Federal Government gets about 80 per cent of its revenue from crude oil exports.

HYPREP

The HYPREP cleanup in Ogoni has been a major source of recent controversy, as major oil companies such as Shell have been kicked out of the community due to the inability to adequately clean up decades of oil spills, which had affected the livelihood of the communities.