By Obiabin Onukwugha
The World Health Organization, WHO, has commenced health impact study of Ogoni, in line with the recommendations by the United Nations Environmental Program, UNEP report of 2009.
The study, which is to determine the correlation of oil exploration and pollution to the health status of Ogoni people, is being carried out by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC, a subsidiary of the World Health Organization.
It would be recalled that the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, had informed that it has commissioned the WHO to carry out the study.
Speaking during a visit to the traditional heads of Gokana and Tai kingdoms, on Tuesday, Lead Scientist, International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC, Ann Olysson, stated that the study is part of the UNEP recommendations on Ogoni.
“We are about, with your permission, to begin a study that was originally recommended by the UNEP study. We are in collaboration with HYPREP to conduct the test and the choice of our agency to conduct the study is in international recognition for this type of study,” she said.
Mr Michael Cowing, Project Coordinator of UNEP and the Lead researcher between 2009 and 2011 that led to the report, said one of the key recommendations of UNEP was this health assessment of the population of Ogoni.
He said the study, which is going to last for about two and half years, kicked off middle of last year with the desk work, the mapping, the research, pointing out that the study will be carried out on 4,000 persons across the most impacted and non impacted communities to ascertain results.
“And now with your approval, with your permission, we are going to engage in the field work. Simply what that means is across Ogoniland we are looking to have something in the order of 4,000 participants representing the most impacted communities in Ogoniland.
“We know where the epicenters of contamination are, we’ve plotted the communities over those maps, and they will be the impacted communities
where we will focus the study, but we are also doing studies in unimpacted communities so we can compare the different results.
“We are going to be looking at particular
people involved in particular activities, whether it’s farming, fishing,
sand mining, artisanal refining, different levels of exposure to hydrocarbon, so
it’s going to be a very comprehensive study,” he stated.
On her part, Prof Iyenemi Kakulu, Professor of Land Management at the Rivers State University, RSU, informed that people will be scientifically selected for the study.
“We are here on a friendly note to ask for your support, to grant us access into your kingdom, so that we can roam around, talk to your people, and be intentional about the participants we seek to be part of the study
”Basically, we will talk to people,
we will try and reach people in the homes where they live, in some communities that will be scientifically selected, and when we go to those communities, we will crave your indulgence to be able to speak to their chiefs and gain access into the communities to do the work that we need to.
“We are also interested in occupational hazards, people who are exposed by the nature of the work that they do in and around the Ogoni land, they would also be subjects of interest to us, and we will go to them, talk to them, seek their voluntary consent to take part in the study, which is basically collecting some views, some human samples, blood, urine, and things like that,” she stated.
Earlier, HYPREP Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, represented by the Director, Technical Services, Damian Paul-Aguiyi, told the traditional councils that the delegation was in their domains to seek support in terms of adequate security, sensitisation and collaboration.
He emphasised that the study is not a contracted job and called on the traditional ruler to sensitise their people and give the team an enabling environment to carry out the study.
Responding, HRM, King Samuel Nnee, Gbenemene Tai Kingdom, assured of the support of his people, noting that before the coming of oil exploration the Ogonis and indeed Africans lived longer.
He said; “Whatever support you need i can assure you that you will have it because what are we talking about the health of our people.”
King Nnee noted that at first the people doubted that HYPREP will carry out the remediation. “But i can tell you of the truth that we have seen. HYPREP went beyond cleaning the soil and a touch on livelihood programs that has reawakened dead and hidden potentials of our children.
“Today our children are here and there in every sphere of life. Our children are going places, if you see programs that are packaged by HYPREP, it will marvel you that Ogoni sons and daughters are now licensed to do a lot of things we never imagined years ago.
Also, the Gberemene and Natural Ruler of Gokana Kingdom, HRM King Festus Paago Bagia, represented by the Traditional Ruler of Goi community, Mene Stephen Kobani, assured the visiting team of the support of his people, describing the study as a welcome development.