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By Amaechi Okonkwo
The newly established Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission, HYPPADEC, has expressed readiness to commence immediate projects implementation to address the lingering challenges confronting hydroelectric power producing communities in Nigeria.
Chairman of the commission, Joseph Ityav, gave the indication in Port Harcourt on Wednesday at the opening of a 5-day retreat for the commission’s governing council.
Communities in about 227 political wards from Kebbi, Niger, Kogi, Kwara, Platuea and Benue states, which host hydroelectric power, have been suffering lingering ecological problems affecting their livelihoods.
The communities have for about 48 years of the commencement of hydroelectric power generation from their areas been suffering from lack of some basic amenities, including potable water.
The commission’s chairman however said that HYPPADEC had carried a need assessment of the 227 political wards under its coverage area, adding that one of the major challenges confronting majority of the communities was ecological problem.
According to Ityav, “we have gone round, we have looked at those issues, we have come back and sat down, we are trying to see how we can begin to alleviate some of the hardships being experienced by those communities”.
He assured that against fears of HYPPADEC going the way of similar interventionist agencies would not materialize as the commission would be a success.
“With the kind of board and the management staff we have in place, we are assuring Nigerians that HYPPADEC will be a success story, we are very confident that soon, you will begin to see projects being executed by HYPPADEC”, the chairman stated.
He went on; “We have already put some projects in place, but we are trying to adhere to procurement act, soon our projects will come on board.
HYPPADEC is meant to address ecological challenges being faced by hydroelectric power producing host communities and was signed in to Law in 2010, but it only took effect just this year.
“Host communities have a host of challenges in terms of infrastructural development, setbacks. The mandate upon us is to give these communities face lift, provide them with manpower development to bring succour to their hardships.
“We are talking about particularly communities that are playing host to dams from where power is being generated i n parts of the country over the years.
Also, the managing director, HYPPADEC, Abubakar Sadiq, said the commission discovered that the major issues in the host communities were that during rainy reason, the communities become devastated their farms, homes, schools, hospitals and business premises are flooded.
“The ecological challenges they are faced with are enormous, which deprive them of the chances to improve even on their livelihoods, those are the major challenges the communities are really going through.
He stated that over 227 political wards were assessed to know their basic needs and challenges and their most pressing needs in their order of priority.
“As a result of the exercise, Yelwa explained, we have identified over 150 communities that need immediate pipe borne water provision, for that reason we have submitted a no objection request for the need for public procurement for award of solar powered boreholes to over 120 communities and plans are on the way for the construction of at least 10 hand pumps in each political ward of the commission.
“There are also plans to rehabilitate dilapidated primary and secondary schools, health centres.
He named the commission’s sources of fund to include, 50 percent ecological fund, Federal Government, and 10 per cent revenue generated by hydroelectric power generation companies, among others
HYPPADEC has members of council from Kebbi, Niger, Kogi, Kwara, Platuea and Benue states, these are also the six states that are members of the commission.
“However, the Act also made provision for any state that have a new hydro electric power producing dams will also be admitted into the commission. Apart from these core states, the Northern and Southern states have one representative each in the commission”, the managing director stated.
Bar. Ekpo Nta, chairman of Salaries, Income and Wages Commission in his keynote address advised the commission to stick with the laws establishing the agency so as not to fail like similar agencies before her.
“We chose Port Harcourt because it has been a grave yard of many intervention agencies, you can put structures everywhere but if you don’t have human capacity the whole structure will collapse,” he said.
He urged the commission to partner with other organisations and choose its representative based on competence not by sentiment adding; “You should tackle the issue of women and youth unemployment to ensure success in your commission.”
