Ogoni land clean-up ,President Buhari assures no going back

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Nairobi reaffirmed his commit-ment to implementing the United Nations Environmental Programme’s (UNEP) recommendations for the clean-up of Ogoni land and other parts of the Niger-Delta damaged by crude oil spillage.
Speaking during a visit to the United Nations (UN) Office in the Kenyan capital, Buhari urged the UN to give him more support towards this effort.
“When I came into office on 29 May 2015, one of the first tasks I carried out was to authorise the implementation of the recommendations of the UNEP for the clean-up of Ogoni land.
“The devastation caused by oil spillage has destroyed many lives and livelihoods and is clearly one of the reasons why many people in that region lost faith in government and resorted to the many criminal activities we are seeing in the region today.
“The action our government took to implement UNEP’s recommendations has given the indigenes of the region hope that there are better days ahead.
“Let me, therefore, express appreciation on behalf of the Government of Nigeria to UNEP and other development partners for their cooperation and support on this very delicate matter and also request for their continued support as we implement the recommendations and transform the fortunes of the region”.
The President applauded the outcome of the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that held in Paris in December last year.

Buhari also said that with half of the world’s population now living in cities, world leaders must give greater attention to the challenges of rapid urbanisation.
The Resident Coordinator of United Nations Office, Ms Sahle-Work Zewde, recalled that the election of Buhari in a free-and-fair election last year demonstrated the commitment of Nigerians to democracy as a system of government.
She described Nigeria as a “crucial member of the UN, a vital partner and a major contributor to UN peace-keeping operations.”