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THE people of Ogoni ethnic nationality in Rivers State have urged President Bola Tinubu to quickly review the reconstitution of the Board of Trustee of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, as contained in the State House Release of Monday.
The people of the area disclosed this in an open letter to President on the appointment of Hon. Emmanuel Deeyah to head the BoT of the Project.
The document was signed by Ogoni Chiefs and Elders Forum, Kinem Nicholas, Concerned Ogoni Elders Forum, Theophilus Dike, Ogoni Youths Development Initiative, Comrade Imeabe Saviour Oscar, Coalition of Ogoni Youths Leadership Forum, Bariakkara Nugbara, Ogoni Mothers of Charity, Suka Barizaa, and others.
The people noted that the intention of the President was to re-appoint, the immediate passed BoT Chairman, Dr Mike Nwielaghi, but that some individuals with the cabinet manipulated the process and inserted Hon. Emmanuel Deeyah.
The observed that if the intention of the president was to appoint Deeyah, that it would have been a fresh appointment, but that stating re-appointment in the State House Release, showed the intention to return Nwielaghi.
It read: “We have received the news of the reconstitution of the Board of Trustee of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) with mixed feelings. While we appreciate your ongoing commitment to the cleanup of our polluted environment, we are deeply concerned that genuine efforts to bring transformation, development, and healing to Ogoniland are repeatedly undermined by petty political interference.
“The previous Board of Trustees (BoT), led by Dr. Mike Nwielaghi, performed remarkably well in delivering on your RENEWED HOPE mandate. The Ogoni people were satisfied with their work, and OYDI formally conveyed a Vote of Confidence to your office, urging their re-appointment to ensure continuity. It is therefore shocking that, instead of building on that success, efforts are now heightened to truncate this momentum.
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“From the State House release, it is clear that your intention is to re-appoint Dr. Mike Nwielaghi, as HYPREP’S BoT Chairman. Yet, we are informed that certain politicians have hijacked the process, replacing his name with that of Hon. Emmanuel Deeyah, a staunch loyalist of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike. This substitution does not reflect your decision, but appears to be the handiwork of individuals seeking to serve personal political interests.
“Hon. Emmanuel Deeyah has never served as BoT Chairman, making the description of his “re-appointment” in the release both inaccurate and misleading. HYPREP, at this critical stage, requires leaders who are tested, trusted, and deeply knowledgeable about the remediation process. For the UNEP cleanup targets to be met, appointments must be based on competence and integrity, not political patronage.”
The letter stated that the Ogoni struggle is bigger than politics or personal ambition, noting that the return of Nwielaghi to continue with his leadership would not only sustain the cleanup’s momentum but also strengthen the political goodwill in the region ahead of 2027.
He noted that some individuals in the cabinet of the president were working for their personal interest, stating that the people of Ogoni would give more support to the President of the decision is reviewed.
It read: “We are deeply worried that certain cabinet members, particularly the Minister of the FCT, are working to undermine the Presidency’s development agenda in Ogoni and Niger Delta at large, instead building political structures that could be deployed against you in the future. We urge you to take immediate steps to check such activities to safeguard your 2027 prospects.
“Your Excellency, if the will and support of the Ogoni people are important to you, we respectfully request that you reverse the recent announcement and restore the re-appointment of Dr. Mike Nwielaghi as BoT Chairman of HYPREP. Any new appointment, for instance, Hon. Emmanuel Deeyah, should be classified as an appointment and not re-appointment. It is crystal clear that the President re-appointed Dr. Mike Nwielaghi, but same was was edited and replaced with the name of Emmanuel Deeyah.”
