Oil giant Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has accused the Nigerian government of frustrating the release of $1 billion earmarked by a 2011 UN report for the clean-up of damage oil pollution has done in Ogoniland.

Mr Augustine Igbuku, Ogoni Restoration’s project manager for the SPDC made the accusation during a session with stakeholders organised by the Uche Ekwunife-led House of Representatives Committee on Environment yesterday.

Igbuku said Shell is willing to make its contribution to the $1 billion Ogoni Restoration Fund but is being hampered by the lack of governance structure and legal framework for Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP), the ad-hoc intervention agency set up by the government.

On the part of Shell, Igbuku cited illegal oil bunkering and lack of work plan by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources for the proposed clean-up and the utilization of the funds as factors stopping Shell from coming up with its part of the funds.

“There were 47 breaks in the pipeline. We did 50 clean-ups. People are still breaking the pipes in spite of the local contractors that we employed to safeguard them,” he said.

To this end, the House Committee on Environment gave the petroleum resources ministry two weeks to produce and submit a work plan for the proposed clean-up and the utilization of the funds.

The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Danladi Kifasi, and Dr Musa Zagi, GM, health, safety and environment in the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) assured the federal government is working seriously on the implementation of the UNEP Report.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2014/07/shell-accuses-fg-frustrating-release-1-billion-earmarked-clean-oil-pollution-done-ogoniland/