Guardian

PROTESTING landowners, Saturday, confronted Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, who was on working visit to Kaduna State to commission power projects.

Alleging that government is yet to pay for the land where the power projects are sited, leader of the aggrieved landowners, Mr. Francis Nwobodo, told the Minister that the incumbent Vice President, Alhaji Mohammed Namadi Sambo had promised them that alternative land would be allocated to them.

Nebo had to engage tact and diplomacy to calm the hundreds of protesters who claimed to be owners of the land on which the 215 megawatts power station was constructed in the Kudenda area of Kaduna State.

According to Nwobodo, “when he (Sambo) was governor, the Vice President came here and told us that the government was interested in this land and that the power plant they will build will 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 Yakowa came here and promised that they would do something. Some of our people have died, and we are yet to be given another land.”

Amid chants, Nwobodo and other protesters said they used to meet every Saturday near the power project to discuss the contentious land issue.  They appealed to the minister to use his good office to address the matter.

Nebo assured them that he would convey their message    to the Vice President and commended them for the peaceful nature of their protest and for giving their land for the project.

Stressing that something must have happened to slow down the process, the Minister said government is willing to fulfill its promise of giving them another land.

“I will talk with the governor on this matter when we meet. I would have seen him today, but he is travelling. I want to assure you that I will talk with him. The power project that is being constructed here will give you more power than what you are currently enjoying,” he said.

Nebo had earlier told contractors on site to hasten and complete the project before the December 2013 deadline.

The power project was initially instituted by the Kaduna State government but was taken over by the Federal Government.

Other projects inspected and commissioned by Nebo include the Gonin Gora 7.5 KVA , the Unguwan Mu’azu National Independent Power Project (NIPP), the Abakpa Power Plant, the Zaria station, and the PHCN ultra-modern office complex in Kaduna.