…As HYPREP Launches Probe
By Daniel Abia, Port Harcourt
A prominent Ogoni traditional leader, Chief Anthony Waadah, has raised alarm over the collapse of a newly commissioned water project in Ogoniland, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take decisive action against those sabotaging his administration’s integrity.
Chief Waadah, who also serves as President of the Ogoni Business Owners in America, demanded the immediate sack of the Minister of Environment, the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), and the contractor responsible for the failed water facilities in Bane and Gwara communities of Khana Local Government Area.
The water facility in Gwara collapsed barely three days after being inaugurated — an incident Waadah described as a national embarrassment and a “monumental fraud” against the Ogoni people.
In a statement on Wednesday, he condemned the Ministry of Environment and HYPREP for what he termed “a deliberate act of deception and gross incompetence,” despite the $1 billion already spent on the Ogoni Clean-Up Project.
“It is unthinkable that a project celebrated with so much fanfare could collapse within seventy-two hours of its commissioning,” Waadah said. He insisted the failure amounted to economic sabotage and an insult to the Ogoni people.
He urged President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on HYPREP’s activities and order a comprehensive forensic audit of its contracts and finances. He further urged anti-corruption agencies to investigate all companies working with HYPREP, alleging that many are “fronts owned by cronies and political allies without technical capacity.”
“Ogoniland does not look like a place where one billion dollars has been spent. Our people are still drinking polluted water; hospitals are non-existent; and our roads are death traps,” he lamented.
Waadah said the legacy of Ogoni heroes such as Ken Saro-Wiwa and Barinem Kiobel was being desecrated by corruption, warning that the people must not remain silent when substandard projects are executed in their communities.
“These projects are not favours. They are our rights, funded by public money. Silence in the face of corruption is betrayal,” he stated.
He urged President Tinubu to act swiftly to protect his administration’s integrity from officials who have “turned the Ogoni clean-up into a political business.”
Meanwhile, HYPREP has announced the launch of an investigation into the collapse of the newly commissioned overhead water tank in Gwara.
The water project, inaugurated last Saturday by Minister of Environment Balarabe Lawal, was intended to supply clean water to 14 communities. On Tuesday, however, the structure collapsed, prompting widespread outrage.
HYPREP’s Vice Chairman of the investigative committee and Legal Adviser, Gowon Ichibor, said officials visited the site on Wednesday to assess the damage and brief the Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibari Zabbey.
“What we discovered was broken walls with wreckage all over the ground,” he said. “Water pressure pulled down the front walls. We have reported our findings to the PC.”
Chief Resident Engineer of HYPREP, Tabe James, said the foundation of the tank remained intact but emphasized that full investigations, material testing, and certification were required to determine the actual cause.
HYPREP’s Head of Communications, Enu-Olare Wigbo, expressed sympathy to the Gwara community and called for calm, assuring that the damaged facility would be restored and water supply reconnected.
“HYPREP remains committed to delivering quality projects that meet best standards. Internal and external quality assurance measures have been introduced,” she said.
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