Rivers: Group Expresses Concern Over Bodo Cleanup

The Save Our Ogoni Project has expressed worried over the way and manner Lamor and Inkas, the two leading firms handling the cleanup and remediation exercise in Bodo community are conducting their business in the community.

In a statement by its Coordinator, Mr. Anthony Aalo on Thursday, the group observed that, Lamor and Inkas are clearly conducting their business in a way that does not assure the Bodo people that they will have a clean environment that will ensure the resumption of their major occupations which is fishing and farming in the community.

The statement read in part: “We are indeed worried about the quality of job that is been done as regards the cleanup. The Save Our Ogoni Project understands that the 400 personnel claimed to have been trained about two years ago commenced work without a refresher training and swimming test.

“This was against Shell earlier advice and international best practices. Lamor and Inkas only did a one day induction program for the personnel and commenced work. We are worried that the Bodo cleanup may be business as usual but warn that Shell, Lamor and Inkas should show transparency and accountability in the entire process in other not to throw Bodo into another round of crises.

“There are no clear terms and process for the cleanup; the community does not know neither understands the areas or parameter the cleanup will cover.

“Following consultations with some stakeholders in Bodo, the “Save Our Ogoni Project” hereby expresses her condemnation of what appears to be a shady work about to be done in the Bodo community.

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“Clearly, as stated in the UNEP report, Shell may just again be about to deploy its own standards which the UNEP noted were far below accepted international standards.

“We are particularly disturbed that Lamor and Inkas activities including the compromising attitude of Shell and its double standard could throw Bodo community into another round of crisis as their work tends to divide the community as the day goes by.

“The Save Our Ogoni Project demands that Lamor the leading company with highest percent in the Bodo cleanup to make public the work plan and the area that the cleanup will cover.

“We completely reject the method and manner in which the companies are going about the cleanup and call on the relevant agency and the international community to prevail on Lamor and Shell to clean the Bodo creeks as recommended by the court settlement and to acceptable international best practices”.

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