Aggrieved owners of a property on which
the 215 megawatts power station is being constructed in the Kudenda area
of Kaduna held the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, hostage on
Saturday.
The minister who was on facility tour
had gone to inspect the ongoing project located at the Kudenda, when he
met the protesters.
As soon as he finished inspecting the
project, some people blocked the main entrance to the power plant,
forcing the minister and his entourage to disembark from their cars to
address the protesters who were demanding for compensation for their
land.
Spokesman of the protesters, Mr. Francis
Nwodo, told the minister that the Kaduna State Government under the
then governor and now Vice-President Namadi Sambo took over their land
four years ago for the project without any alternative arrangement of
relocating them.
Nwobodo said, “When he was governor, the
vice-president came here and told us that the government was interested
in this land and that the power plant would benefit all of us. He
promised to give us another land and based on that, we willingly gave
away our land.
“Four years after, we have not heard
anything. The late governor Patrick Yakowa came here and promised that
they would do something. Some of us have died and yet, we are yet to be
given another land”.
Responding, the minister said the government was willing to fulfil its promise of giving them another land.
Meanwhile, no fewer than N3.7bn worth
of electricity projects under the Kaduna Electricity Distribution
Company may be abandoned, if concerted efforts are not made by the
Federal Government to complete them before the eventual sale of the
electricity outfit to private investors.
Managing Director of the Kaduna
Electricity Distribution Company, Alhaji Idris Mohammed, said during the
minister’s visit to Kaduna.
He said lack of budgetary provision for the projects in the 2013 budget might stall their completion.
In a related development, Nebo has said
the Federal government will address the paucity of funding confronting
the Olorunsogo Power Station Phase 1 in Ogun State.
Nebo said this would enable the power plant to stay afloat and meet its 335 Megawatts capacity target.
The minister said this on
Friday during his tour of the plant site where he was received by the
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Olorunsogo Power Plc, Mr.
Philip Ugwu; the Vice-President of SEPCO111, Mr. Sun Qili and SEPCO111
Project Manager, Mr Li Xianlai.
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Am disappointed with Prof.Nebo ,and power sector.Don't be king saul in bible,all of u are christains acclaimed ;but reverse is the case.
ReplyDeleteWhere is a nation going with all this power outage. Are we not paying for the bills ,why should Oji-River power station in Enugu-state become a ghost station where nothing is happening. The controllers chose to off the whole town for 3-weeks.
Power minister Nebo should do something about this,we all welcomed and installed this administration;but we are all ashamed of ourselve because all of u are absurds in church this morning what kind of God are u worshipping when u are stealing with office. Be careful!
Yes! ,the Igbo's are not as brutal as the Hausa's that's why we are maginalized even in this administration.
ReplyDeleteIf the Igbos are destroying ,and bombing infrastructures like the boko's the chief controller of Oji-River power station will not have the liver to off the light line of Ezeagu,Udi,Umumba and Obinofia. Keeping the unemployed men/ youth's eyes on robbery to make a living.
The power minister Nebo as an Igbo should look in Oji station to avoid problems escalating