Port Harcourt — The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) involved in investigating the extent of oil spills in Ogoniland has apologised for what it called a mistake on the part of one of its officials who relied on the Federal Government figures on the causes of spills to pass a judgment on the issue.
UNEP Chief, Post Conflict and Disaster Management Branch, Mr. Henrik Slotte, who spoke with THISDAY in Port Harcourt weekend, regretted the controversy that attended the alleged attribution of spill causes to sabotage in Ogoni. He said the body was still investigating and yet to compile its report.
A UNEP official was quoted recently as attributing oil spillage in Ogoniland to sabotage and absorbed Shell of much blame.
But distancing UNEP from the statement, Slotte said the result of the laboratory tests would be compiled around October this year after which the results would be made public.
So far, he said the body had collected 1227 samples from four local government areas in Ogoniland and was yet to do laboratory analysis on them, and therefore could not have had its own figures to reel out to the public.
"There is no report from us. What happened was that there was a press conference in Geneva and our official (John Carwin) expressed concern that new spills were being noticed. There was the mistake of relying on figures that are not ours. We know that the mistake is weighing heavily on our integrity but I want to assure you that it was a mistake.
"We are still collecting samples, which we ship abroad for various tests by experts and facilities at accredited centres in the United Kingdom. We collect, test, file reports and after, we have peer reviews so that at the end of the day, we will come out with a very solid report that is comprehensive and can be translated," Slotte said.
He said the body was only investigating in accordance with the directives of the authorities after which a report would be published and after which the Federal Government could decide whether to go to the next stage of asking Shell to clean up the spills.
Slotte admitted that there had been some stormy meetings but denied that he had ever come under any influence by the funders of the project, pointing out that Shell Petroleum Developing Company (SPDC) was funding the project on the principle that the polluter pays.
"The UNEP study represents unprecedented efforts to examine the extent, nature and implications of oil contamination in Ogoniland, which remains unmediated, or only partially mediated today. It is part of a national goal to clean up contaminated sites for the benefit of local communities, where environmental degradation has reduced fish stocks, crop yields and access to safe drinking water, and to support the region's sustainable development.
"The UNEP project is well advanced. The fieldwork by scientific teams collecting samples of water, soil, sediment, air, plant and animal tissue is due to be completed in October 2010, and will be followed by laboratory analysis. A preliminary health study and institutional review of key environmental regulators will also feed into UNEP's assessment report which is due to be presented to the government and interested parties in early 2011," he said.
He pleaded with the Ogoni to understand the mistake and to have confidence that the body would do a good job with the template it had already put in place and asked that the mix up be taken for what it is.
Comments 1 to 2 of 2 Post a comment
How on god's earth can Nigeria be so stupid as to put the investigation in the hands of the United Nations. after 150 years these people never learn that the UN is only an extension of the united states and oil companies. When are you going to realize that Chevron and others are there to steal and rip you off. They are in Africa because that do no have to comply with the rules and regulation in the United States, which is less profitable. African people and Nations do not have the intelligence to deal with complicated contracts as this. Africa is not like China who will pay consultants large sums of money to protect their future on complicated contracts. Nigeria do not want to pay for anything and after 150 years of dealing with the west is still destitute, they expect a white man who hate them, to come in and treat then fairly. Chevron (really is the United Nations and IMF who works with Chevron in ripping Africa off). is looking for profits, and is stupid to say that all the enviornment disasters are sabatage, this is a slap in the face of africa,historically all the fields chevron has how many never had a spill. "none". Make them pay or get out of the country, or have them sell their interest to another company at a reasonable price. If Nigeria is to absorb the total cost and enviornmental damage, they have no profits, then why not shut the field down if no one is making money except Chevron. I am not going to say Nigeria is a totally corrupt country,knowing that they are not intelligent enough to expediate profitable contracts. So call them stupid but not corrupt, the west want the people of Nigeria to think the country is corrupt, when in reality they are stealing the money. Many people have told Nigeria and Africa that if the west want oil contracts, then they must expedite technology, tele communication, electronics, auto factories, conputer technology and so on. How stupid is it that the country of Nigeria is 90% dependent on oil. This is the corruption in Nigeria, a lazy government, and ingnorance. Other Countries in Africa should learn from their mistakes. Liberia should review every mistake Nigeria and other african countries have made and correct them. Use the enviornmental policies for oil companies in the United States.
As,for the United Nations and Slotte, he should not be allowed back in Africa, take his visa and rip it up,the United Nations will never do ths to china, why because the Chinese people demand respect, while African People have yet to learn to spell it. This is a crime in China punishable by death. Where as in Africa, Hehe them white people crazy. They are not crazy, they are taking advantage. Demand that this man is fired, do you have any african men there, where the african woman can be poud of, or do they preceive you as a child. African men stand up and take your place.