President Bola Tinubu has reinstated Nenibarini Zabbey, a senior lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, as the coordinator for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
On Saturday, July 13, President Tinubu had removed Zabbey and appointed Olufemi Adekanmbi, a former commissioner from Ondo, as his replacement.
But the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) strongly opposed Zabbey’s removal and threatened to shut down the HYPREP office in Port Harcourt if he was not reinstated.
They argued that the Ogoni community had qualified individuals to lead the project, which they had initiated without federal help, and saw the appointment of a non-Ogoni person as an insult.
MOSOP demanded Zabbey’s reinstatement, stating he was performing well, and warned they would close all project sites if their demands were not met.
Reacting to the development on Monday, July 25, presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale announced that Zabbey has been reinstated as the HYPREP coordinator.
The statement read: “President Bola Tinubu has approved the reinstatement of Professor Nenibarini Zabbey as the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
“The President reached the decision following a performance review of the HYPREP Project Coordinator and concluded that the Project Coordinator is fit to discharge his functions in accordance with the regulations guiding the execution of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
“By the directive of the President, the reinstatement of the HYPREP Project Coordinator takes immediate effect.”
KanyiDaily recalls that President Bola Tinubu also removed Mohammed Bello-Koko as Managing Director (MD) of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and named Abubakar Dantsoho as his successor.
