CSOs called for the immediate payment of compensation to the people of Ogoni land for the loss of their livelihoods and demand probe of purported ogoni clean up contracts issued by HYPREP,; Appeal to the Federal Government to speed up the cleaning process, the CSOs leaders urged the government to support the vision of the people to stimulate economic activities.

This position was made known at the end of a one-day engagement on the United Nation Environment Program (UNEP) report on Ogoni clean-up yesterday in Abuja.

The CSOs present at event, unanimously demanded for a probe of the $366 million already expended for the cleaning programme, with no visible project on ground in Ogoni, to match monies expended so far for the clean-up.

The communique was jointly signed by President and Chief Executive Officer, Ogoni Liberation Initiative, Dr Fabeke Douglas; Coordinator, Restore Nigeria Integrity Initiative, Comrade Victor Itsede; Executive Director, Initiative for Leadership and Economic Watch in Nigeria, Ambassador Splendour Agbonkpolor; President, Civil Society Group for Good Governance, Comrade Dominic Ogakwu; Executive Director, Centre for Peace, Transparency and Accountability, Comrade Patrick Ogheneyero, etc. among others and Executive Director, Beam TV, Blessing Ambrose.

CSOs lamented the laid back attitude of the government to the cries of the Ogoni people despite several court judgments in favour of their struggle; call on the government to rise up to the occasion and correct the anomalies.

They also called for a forensic audit of the UNEP initiated programme, executed by the Hydrocarbon Remediation Program (HYPREP).

In its recommendations, the CSOs urged the government to thoroughly investigate $366 million expended funds and publish the names of all the companies involved in the unsubstantiated clean-up.

The CSOs added that the government should as matter urgency, carry out Field assessments of projects executed so far by HYPREP in Ogoniland, to ascertain the level of compliance to the UNEP recommendations on Ogoni clean-up and to see if there is value for the 366 million dollars already expended for the project.”