The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has given the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) a 60-day ultimatum to commence an integrated water project for Ogoniland or face a civil shutdown.

Addressing a MOSOP congress in Mogho, Gokana Local Government Area, on Sunday, November 25, 2018, Publicity Secretary of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, said the massive deaths in Ogoniland have become intolerable and the issue of delays in water provision can no longer be tolerated.

He lamented that in a week, at least 100 persons die within the coastal communities in Gokana local government alone, describing the situation as a deliberate ploy to kill the people and force them to accept the poor standards being adopted by HYPREP in handling the cleanup.

Nsuke said the situation in Ogoni “demands that water provision be given a top priority to provide an alternative to the poison we call water in Ogoniland.”

The MOSOP spokesman maintained that the Ogoni people will not accept the plan by HYPREP to award contracts for the cleanup ahead of the 2019 elections, noting that HYPREP is not prepared for the cleanup.

“HYPREP is not prepared for this cleanup because the integrated Soil Management Center which should handle the massive wastes from the polluted sites is not in place and the provision of water which should be treated as an emergency has been seriously degraded.

What HYPREP is interested in right now is how to spend the cleanup funds meant for Ogoniland ahead of the 2019 elections and that is not acceptable to us,” Nsuke said.

He stressed that “if HYPREP fails to commence the Ogoni water project within the next 60 days, we will mobilise a massive civil protest against HYPREP.”