By Wole Mosadomi

Nigeria’s power supply threatened A MAJOR crisis capable of disrupting power generation to the national grid and throwing the nation into prolonged darkness appears to be brewing as no fewer than 30 communities in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State hosting the Federal Government-owned Zungeru Hydroelectricity Dam are up in arms against the government.

The aggrieved natives are upset that the Federal Government has not considered it necessary to pay them compensation for their swathe of land taken for the multimillion naira project, almost eight years after the takeover of their land.

As if the non-payment for land was not enough, the naming of the project is also presenting another dimension to the array of issues besetting them. While the project is actually sited at Gunu Village in Shiroro LGA, the natives are angry that it is recognised and called Zungeru Dam, which is many kilometres away from the main site in Wushishi LGA. Beyond that, the area is reported to be subjected to perennial flooding as a result of the project, thereby adding to the woes of the communities.

Spokesman of the affected communities, Comrade Bello Ibrahim, warned at a briefing in Minna, the Niger State capital, that the three nagging issues needed to be urgently addressed by the relevant government agencies to avoid a breakdown of law and order across the state. Comrade Ibrahim pointed out that based on their ‘thorough findings’, many land owners were not captured for compensation prior to the takeover of the land for the project and that the people were stranded as a result of dispossessing them of their means of livelihood.

He said: “To this extent, the people have lost virtually all their belongings, including farmlands, houses, among other valuables. Our people are without houses, with only a few succeeding in managing to erect makeshift huts where they are currently taking refuge. In respect of compensation, a monumental scam took the centre stage by way of grossly shortchanging virtually all the people directly affected by the dam construction.

“It is on record that while some people’s property, including land and houses, were grossly undervalued, which resulted in inadequate compensation, some people were not compensated at all. In the face of this injustice done to our helpless people, we have also lost all the attorneys who were primarily engaged right from onset to make a case for the affected people.”

Comrade Ibrahim lamented that the negative impact of the dam had begun to be felt, adding that the primary blockage of water in the town has resulted in flooding upstream. He said the devastating effect of the flooding is evidenced by the fact that it has destroyed many farmlands.

He listed the affected communities as Layi and Gaviya with many adjoining villages which, he said, have not been compensated by government. Others also being threatened by the flood include Fiyi, Sundna, Nikki, Rango, Turakin Kokki, Marino, Shekadna, Gwaja, Guto, Jabukin Kasa, Jabukin Sama, Sarkin Zama and Siyiko among others.

“This unfortunate situation is akin to invitation to anarchy as it is a huge understatement to say that our people are predominantly peasant farmers who practise subsistence farming as their basic occupation. Now that their ancestral farm lands have been taken away from them by flooding and sadly without a lasting, sustainable and workable alternative, many consequences such as famine, collapse of local economies, social exclusion, collapse in education among others are imminent and inevitable,” he said.

The spokesman wondered why such a gigantic and multinational project could be sited in a particular village and local government but named after another village in a different local government entirely. Ibrahim said: “Our agitation for the renaming of Zungeru Dam to Gungu, Manta or Shiroro Dam II are necessitated by the fact that since the dam is sited at Gungu, there should be a reflection of obtainable reality which is not limited to name alone.

“As we all know, name speaks volume about any phenomenon and it is an indisputable fact that all the attendant consequences are going to be felt by inhabitants of the dam’s surroundings.

“Therefore, it is generally expected that all accruable benefits should be enjoyed by the real hosts and not otherwise, and also naming the power station after the village it is sited will correct the historical anomaly, set the record straight, give honour to whom honour is due as well accord any future benefits that may accrue from time to time to the host community.”

The natives of the dam community also demanded the reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure, including roads, hospitals, connection of various communities in the area to electricity in order to have a sense of belonging in the society.

The 700 megawatts (940,000 horse power) Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Station was conceived by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to provide additional power to the 760 megawatts Kainji Hydroelectric Power Station also in Minna.

It is estimated to generate 2.64 billion kwh of electricity a year, generate up to 10 percent of Nigeria’s total domestic energy need and also provide flood control, irrigation as well as water supply and fish breeding facilities for the locals. The ground-breaking for the dam was performed by President Jonathan on May 28, 2013.