The Federal Executive Council has approved N6.04 billion to provide potable water in the four local government areas of Ogoniland.

Minister of the Environment, Muhammad Mahmoud, who disclosed to State House correspondents at the end of the Council meeting on Wednesday, said the affected local government areas included Gokana, Khana, Eleme, and Tai.

President Muhammadu Buhari chaired the meeting at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said, “My memo today was approved and was with regard to the provision of potable water to the four local governments of Ogoniland of Rivers State; that is Gokana, Khana, Eleme, and Tai, in the sum of N6,048,318,974.74.

“If you recall, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, otherwise known as HYPREP, was commissioned in 2016 to clean Ogoniland, impacted areas of Ogoniland, based on a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).”

Mr. Mahmoud added that the project’s mandate was to clean up the oil-polluted environment, provide drinking water and an alternative source of livelihood for the people.

“This is a project that previous governments have tried to do, but it just turned out to just be, you know, just talk. But President Buhari, in 2015 when he promised, this thing started in 2016. Currently, there will be six water projects that will be provided in this for local governments of Ogoniland, and this has just been approved, and work will start immediately.