The Kebbi Government has pledged to support the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) to ensure power stability and redress ecological problems in the state.
The Kebbi Deputy Gov. Sama’ila Yombe-Dabai gave the assurance when he received members of Governing Council of HYPADEC, led by the Chairman, Mr Joseph Terfa-Ityav, during a courtesy visit in Birnin Kebbi on Friday.
“We will support you in any way possible to ensure stability of electric power and redress of ecological challenges in the state.
“We always commend the efforts and commitment of Gov. Atiku Bagudu-led administration on power stability which has increased investments in agricultural sector in the state,” he said.
Yombe-Dabai also congratulated the Managing Director of the commission, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq- Yelwa on his appointment to the commission.
The deputy governor described him as result-oriented person who was a commissioner in the state prior to his appointment as the pioneer managing director of the commission.
Earlier, Terfa-Ityav said that communities in the state had gone through a lot of hardship because of the overflow of dams since the erection of Kanji Dam over 40 years ago.
“As the years passed by, people of the state and other member states of the commission have been working hard with the previous government to ensure the commission addresses the hardship and ecological challenges faced by their communities,” he said.
According to him, the commission is signed into law in 2010, following yearnings of the people of Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Benue and Plateau .
He said that the commission, lately, had conducted a research and found that a lot of communities had suffered as a result of the Kanji dam.
Terfa-Ityav also explained that the aim of their visit was to solicit support of the state government to enable it to achieve its mandate.
“Our visit is also in continuation of our visit to other member states.
“Our mandate is to alleviate and improve the living standards of communities that face challenges and suffer due to overflow of the dam in the last 40 years.
“Our mandate is to tackle the ecological menace that have affected communities as a result of the overflow of the dam,” the chairman said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that according to the HYPPADEC (Establishment) Act (No. 87 of 2010) the commission shall, among other things, formulate policies and guidelines for the development of hydroelectric power producing areas.
Others are: to carry out a survey of hydroelectric power producing areas in order to ascertain measures necessary to promote its physical development and prepare schemes designed to promote the physical developments of the hydroelectric power producing areas.
It is also to implement all measures approved for the development of hydroelectric power producing areas by the Federal Government.
It will also tackle ecological problems that arise from overloading of dams in the hydroelectric power producing areas and advice Federal and state governments on the prevention and control of floods and environmental hazards. (NAN)
