A thirteen-member Governing Council and ten-member Board of Trustees,BOT,has been approved for the cleanup of Ogoniland in Rivers.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval is due to his steadfast conviction to see Ogoniland and other parts of the Niger Delta cleaned up.

Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, who announced this, said the structures would ensure inclusiveness, accountability, transparency and sustainability of the exercise.

She acknowledged the concerns raised by stakeholders on the perceived slow pace of the clean up, saying Nigerians had a right to voice their concerns, but called for patience.

Accordig to her, Buhari remains steadfast in his conviction to see Ogoniland and other parts of the Niger Delta cleaned up.

She said the ministry was working with the Ministries of Petroleum Resources, Niger Delta, NDDC and key stakeholders in implementing the UNEP report.

The minister said the exercise was a collective responsibility and urged all the Niger Delta communities, especially the Ogonis, to support the remediation and restoration efforts of government.

The UN report estimated that the cleanup of Ogoniland could take up to 30 years with the initial remediation taking five years and the restoration another 25 years.

President Buhari inaugurated the clean up on June 2 at Bodo in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers.