The Nigerian government has opened a fresh bid to provide potable water in the oil spill impacted Ogoni communities in oil-rich Rivers State in south-eastern Nigeria in line with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report on Ogoniland.
The Project Coordinator, Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Dr. Marvin Dekil, said at the opening of the bid in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, on Wednesday that the project was the initiative of the UNEP.
Dekil said that HYPREP, under the Federal Ministry of Environment would coordinate the water projects in Eleme, Gokana, Khana and Tai areas covering Ogoniland to ensure early completion.
He explained that bids for six competent companies would be opened to provide potable water to various locations in the four local government areas of Ogoniland.
Dekil said that 40 companies had submitted their expression of interest to participate in the bidding for the project and that the water project will be executed simultaneously with the ongoing remediation works in 57 sites spread across the areas.
He assured that the water to be provided in the Ogoni communities will meet the United Nations and World Health Organisation standards.
In 2011, the UNEP recommended the provision of potable water for Ogoni communities where the underground water were polluted by decades of oil spills resulting from crude oil exploitation in the area.
GIK/APA