AS COVID -19 ravages global aviation, Nigerian carrier – Arik Air on Wednesday said it will temporarily suspend flights on its West African Coast destination effective Monday, March 23, 2020.
Spokesman of the airline, Chief Executive Officer of Arik Air, Captain Roy Ilegbodu disclosed this in an interview.
He said the management of the airline took the decision after a careful analysis of the novel CoronaVirus Disease (COVID-19) which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Ilegbodu elaborated: “The safety and well-being of our personnel and valued customers are paramount at this critical time. We do not want to take chances and this is why we have taken this decision”.
The airline apologizes to customers whose travel plans may have been affected by the suspension of flights and promise to mitigate the effects by ensuring a prompt refund of tickets.
Two suspected cases rumored to be cases of coronavirus in Niger state have been discovered to be negative, the state Commissioner of Health and Hospital Services, Dr. Makunsidi Muhammad has disclosed.
Briefing newsmen in Minna on Wednesday, Makunsidi said that the first suspected case was patient who was said to have returned from Lagos and had a high fever with severe coughing.
The Commissioner who refused to give the name of the patient said that the patient tested negative to the Coronavirus test.
“The person has been sick since December, even before the advent of coronavirus. All investigation shows that the patient does not have coronavirus but tuberculosis which the person has been battling with for long.
Makunsidi explained that the second case was that of a Pakistani who was a bulldozer driver working for one of the companies handling the Zugeru hydropower project who was suspected to have died of corona virus.
CASES of the Covid-19 respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus have surged in South Africa, with the country reporting its largest daily increase yet to reach a total of 116 cases.
On the African continent, that is second only to Egypt, which has reported 196 cases.
South Africa has 31 new confirmed cases, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said on Wednesday.
A day earlier, it had reported a then-record of 23 new cases, including four children aged 5 and under.
The country’s initial Covid-19 cases involved people who had travelled abroad, but it is now also seeing local transmission of the disease.
South Africa last week evacuated 122 of its nationals from the Chinese region of Wuhan, but they have all tested negative, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said late Tuesday.
Africa had for weeks been spared from the coronavirus, but the disease is now spreading across the continent, 29 of its 54 countries had reported cases by Tuesday morning, according to the World Health Organisation
THE Ikorodu General Hospital has taught residents preventive tips.
The hospital at a town hall meeting also enlightened the residents on actions to take should they anyone near them exhibit symptoms of the disease.
The hospital’s Medical Director Dr. Olufunmilayo Bankole who said the interactive meeting was also held to feel the people’s pulse, said they were committed to improved services for their clients.
KANO State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa on Tuesday said the state has remained free from the dreaded Corona Virus, as three rumoured cases in the state were attended to and confirmed negative.
Tsanyawa who stated this during a joint Press Conference with the Commissioner of Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, noted that the state government has continued to take proactive measures to ensure that the virus does not penetrate the ancient commercial city.so as to maintained it’s safe status.
He added that necessary sensitisation measures have been taken to ensure that Corona Virus does not hit Kano.
Tsanyawa also told Reporters that Kano has already won the war against Lassa Fever as all patients who were taken to the Isolation Centre at Yar-gaya have all been treated and discharged.
He said the state government has taken the campaign against Corona Virus to all public institutions including schools, markets, places of worship, motor parks, airports and entry points across the state.
NIGERIAN universities and other research institutions in the country have been challenged to join the rest of the world in finding solution to the pandemic coronavirus.
The challenge was handed down to the universities by the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, at the 12th World Bank-funded African Centres of Excellence (ACE 1) Conference and 3rd ACE for Development Impact Project Workshop in Abuja.
The minister urged the universities, particularly the World Bank-funded ACE centres, to focus their researches on tackling the killer infection, coronavirus.
The workshop brought together experts from more than 53 universities across Africa to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The ACE 1 conference aims at promoting academic cooperation and specialisation among participating universities from the West and Central African sub-regions.
The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, noted that Africa needed to produce a critical mass of professionals, at the Masters and Doctor of Philosophy levels to meet the labour market demands and to drive development, economic growth and poverty reduction.
The World Bank’s also increased its intervention fund in the 53 universities to over $580 million since the project was first launched in 2014 with 22 Centres in nine West and Central African countries.
The countries included Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo.
Nigeria had eleven of the 22 centres located in some universities in the country.
The second phase of the project tagged ACE II was launched in East and Southern Africa with 24 centers across Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
As countries around the world continue to receive brutal knocks from the Coronavirus pandemic, President Muhammadu Buhari, is doing so much to prevent a reversal of the present successes as Nigeria remains one of the nations that has wrestle down the viral attack, write Adeyinka Aderibigbe, Kelvin Osa Okunbor, Frank Ikpefan, Sanni Onogu, Bolaji Ogundele, Okungbowa Aiwerie, Oziegbe Okoeki, Nwanosike Onu, From Tony Akowe: Vincent Ikuomola,, Sanni Onogu, Toba Adedeji, Mike Odiegwu, Tokunbo Ogunsami
IN response to the spreading Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Federal Government has banned all foreign travels by all public servants indefinitely.
Government also advised all Nigerians with non-essential international travel plans, especially to countries with prevalent cases of the COVID-19, to shelf such plans forthwith.
These were some of the guidelines released by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, at the inaugural meeting of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) the Control of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, held at the SGF’s office in Abuja yesterday.
Mustapha, who is also the Chairman of the PTF, said the Committee had decided to upgrade the nation’s health emergency system to the highest level as a result of the wave of damage the pandemic had been doing globally.
The said further that the committee had advised that all persons returning to Nigeria from abroad observe self-isolation for a period of 14 days, adding that authorities would pay more attention to those returning from nation’s that had been designated as high risk.
The task force committee chaired by Mustapha had as members; Dr Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of Interior, Mr Hadi Sirika, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Services.
Others were, Mr Adamu Adamu, Minister of Education, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Adeleke Mamora, Minister of State, Health, Alhaji Sulaiman Adamu, Minister of Environment.
Mr Yusuf Bichi, Director-General, Department of State Services, Mr Chikwe Thekweazu, Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Wondimagegnehu Alemu.
Nigeria not experiencing community transmission – Minister
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, says Nigeria is not among the countries that are experiencing community transmission of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Community transmission is a situation whereby many people become infected with the virus in an area, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected.
Ehanire said this while responding to questions from journalists at a news conference on COVID-19 on Tuesday in Abuja.
The minister told the journalists that the country would not be in a hurry to take decision to ban social activities or shut down schools and offices because of the virus.
“We are guided by experts, those who understand public health issues so they will guide us appropriately on what to do.
“We do not have community transmission, we have only three cases, and they are recovering.
“We can be taking decisions like those countries that have outbreak; we are studying the situation day and night to know what measures to take.
Dangote’s Indian contractor isolated
The Dangote Industries has confirmed that an Indian citizen working at its mega fertiliser plant in Lekki, Lagos State has been quarantined after showing symptoms synonymous with the deadly coronavirus.
The Indian male is receiving treatment and undergoing tests at the Lagos coronavirus treatment centre, the company said.
“The attention of the management of Dangote Industries Limited has been drawn to a flash report of a suspected case of personnel currently being kept in isolation at the Mainland hospital, Yaba, Lagos.
We will like to state that an Indian national who is a staff of Onshore Construction Company-a mechanical, electrical and instrumentation contracting firm that specializes in fertilizer construction reported at the Site clinic complaining of high temperature and fever.
Senate expresses concern
The Senate yesterday said the lack of testing Centres in the entire North, South East and South-South zones of the Country that could detect the Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection coul;d reverse the successes.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan who spoke during plenary said there is need to urgently establish functional testing and isolation centres in all states of the Federation.
He said this would adequately prepare the country to detect and fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lawan’s remark followed a point of order moved by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe (Kwara Central) on the Coronavirus.
He said the fight against the disease should not be left to government alone.
“We are going to support it for those testing Centres to be provided in the South East and in the northern part.
Sanwo-Olu visits MMIA
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday visited the Murtala Muhammed International Airport , Lagos.
His visit came on the heels of the new case of Coronavirus recorded in the state.
The British – returnee tested positive for the virus on Tuesday.
Sanwo-Olu warned officials at the airport not to allow any passenger slip through unscreened.
He said: “We need to heighten our level of preparedness, our level of monitoring and our level of engagement.
“We have come in here to see things for ourselves, to encourage you and to tell you that we understand that it is a very difficult assignment that you have and that nothing must be put to chance.
“Everybody that goes through the airport must be properly screened. Nobody is an exception. It is not a case of I know this person or this person is above all or this person is a VIP.
‘Halt flights from viral burdened nations’
The House of Representatives on Tuesday asked the Nigerian government to halt flight from into the country like the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, United States of America, China and South Korea which are countries with high incidents of corona virus infections.
The House said only Nigerian citizens who will be tested on arrival and may be quarantined if necessary should be allowed into the country, while also asking the Federal Ministry of Health to continue to work with Federal and State medical establishments to update and upgrade facilities and prepare for eventualities.
The House also threw its weight behind the postponement of the National Sports Festival.
Airline operators calls for restriction
Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) have also urged the Federal Government to take urgent steps to announce a comprehensive travel restriction to only two entry points for Nigerian travelers coming into the country and foreign nationals of countries that have been confirmed to have over 100 cases of the COVID19 Virus popularly known as Corona Virus.
Lagos targets local tourists for Greater Lagos Regatta
Lagos State Government has said that it will restrict participants for the Greater Lagos Regatta and Festival earlier scheduled to hold during the Easter period to local tourists, and fun lovers alone.
The development according to the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Pharmacist (Mrs.) Uzamat AkinbiIe-Yusuf is part of measures to prevent the spread of the globally pandemic Coronavirus among tourists and entertainers who would willing to participate in the event.
The Commissioner, who addressed a Press Conference today at Alausa Ikeja, disclosed that the three days event, Greater Lagos Regatta and Festival has been put on hold pending when the issue of Coronavirus ravaging the world generally subsides.
She said that the State government is not cancelling the event but would disallow participation from foreign countries given the dimension which the Covid19 is gaining globally at the moment.
The Greater Lagos Regatta and Festival which is an initiative of the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture is being jointly organized in collaboration with a consulting firm, Gradient Hill Company Limited and has been designed to espouse the tourism potentials of Lagos State, celebrate the Aquatic splendour of the Centre of Excellence and market the brand of Lagos to tourism investors across the world.
AkinbiIe-Yusuf stated that arrangements had already been concluded to give wider coverage to the event through various media platforms including online streaming to give the event a wider reach and global participation.
“We intend to market Lagos tourism to investors beyond the shores of this country, we want them to see and appreciate the rich cultural heritage and Aquatic endowment of the State.
ECOWAS: no more meetings
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has suspended all meetings involving participants travelling on international flights.
It also discouraged all meetings involving more than 50 participants at a specific point in time.
The commission, in its latest measures put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19 which has spread to
seven countries within the region also urged staff members and other stakeholders to make use of ICT as a means of communication.
The latest measures by the regional body was contained in a statement issued yesterday and signed by Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, President, ECOWAS Commission.
Agency calls for national biosecurity policy
The National Biosafety Management Agency of Nigeria (NBMA) has called for a harmonised national biosecurity policy guideline and emergency response strategy to prevent harmful biological agents in the environment.
Dr Rufus Ebegba, the Director-General said the need to develop a biosecurity policy and emergency response strategy for Nigeria was timely as COVID-19 pandemic had brought to the fore the need to control biological agents.
According to him, those agents may be harmful to human health and the environment.
“You see everything has its own time and globally the issue of biosecurity has not been brought into international discuss in an elaborate way.
“But what has happened is going to give the globe a different perspective on the issue of biosecurity. So Nigeria coming in with a policy and strategy is very timely.
According to him, what happened is as a result of harmful biological agents that are hazardous to human health, so the strategies needed are to tackle emergencies.
Aviation conference put off
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has suspended its national aviation conference following the spread of coronavirus.
The Authority explained that the suspension was due to the need for it to adhere to safety precautions in the face of the Coronavirus presently spreading across nations globally.
The Conference was scheduled for 1st to 4th April 2020 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
The announcement was made via the official twitter handle of the Agency @FAAN_Official.
THE Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, has blamed the Taraba state government for delaying the takeoff of work on the Mambilla hydropower project.
The minister, who spoke to The Nation through his spokesman, Aaron Artimas, on the telephone, said the project’s consultant and contractors can only move to the site when the affected people are compensated and relocated.
He said President Muhammadu Buhari has put everything in place to ensure the project is actualised within four years, but the delays by the Taraba state government will impact negatively on the pace of the work. He disclosed that the cheque for the compensation of the host communities was ready but Governor Darius Ishaku was not ready to collect the money. Instead, he said, the governor has brought another proposal requesting additional funds for “public enlightenment and construction of the Mararaba/Baissa Road” which leads to where the main dam will be constructed.
The Nation gathered that Ishaku, during his campaign, had promised to fix the deplorable road from Mararaba to Baissa in Kurmi before the expiration of his tenure. Kurmi, sharing boundary with the Cameroon Republic, is very rich in the production of cocoa, palm oil, timber and other food and commercial crops, but the disrepair of the road, culminating in deathtraps, causes food wastage and grossly hinders productivity and development of the area. Ishaku had promised to reconstruct the road for the federal government to refund the state thereafter. But the Mambilla project now provides an opportunity for him to grab the contract funds upfront for the road project, it was learnt.
Taraba State Commissioner for Power Badina Garba was pretty shy when The Nation called him to speak on the Mambilla dam project. He was to field questions on the contract, list of individuals and communities affected by the Mambilla dam project who are to be compensated and relocated and why the state is reportedly refusing to collect the cheque for the compensation from the Federal Government, among other questions. He promised to “provide the details” but later shied away.
This reporter called Garba nine times in three days. He picked three times and always promised to call back in an hour to have an interface with this reporter. He never called back. He did not respond to a text message urging him to speak on the telephone without necessarily meeting with this reporter.
Explaining further why work has not yet commenced on the Mambilla hydropower dam, the aide of the Power Minister, Aaron Artimas, said: “For now, there is nothing on the ground. And the delay is from the Taraba state government. Although, I am not trying to indict the Taraba state government, because we don’t have issues with the state government as of now. But the issue is that the land for the project is vested in the hands of the state government. It is the state government that gives land to the federal government for any type of development and it depends on their interest in it.
“We had planned to give money to the Taraba state government since last year. And we set a date when I wrote the letter to the governor (Darius Ishaku). We said we would give them the cheque on December 23. But the governor said he was not going to be around until January 3 this year.
“Now, we are in March. So, you can see that all these delays are caused by the Taraba state government, not the federal government.”
He explained that the Mambilla dam was initially proposed to produce 4000 megawatts, but after a series of surveys and assessments, it was later redesigned to produce 3050 megawatts.
He said: “We have had a series of proposals, based on how the people are assessing the dam. There are a series of dams, of which each dam will be constructed to be storing a lot of water and releasing to the others, for the turbines to work effectively and increase capacity.
“The consultants have done a lot of surveys themselves to determine the volume of water. And that is why, initially it was proposed to have over 4000 megawatts capacity, but after another round of surveys and reassessment, it was discovered that the capacity would not be that high unless certain steps are taken. And those steps, they said, must spread over several years before we can reach the highest capacity. So, we will begin from somewhere, targeting 1.6 thousand megawatts of electricity, while the required steps are being taken, before the capacity can improve itself. It is a series of activities or procedures.
“We are going, to begin with, the dam in Baissa before moving to the other ones. It is envisaged that, before we reach that peak of 3050 megawatts, it will take us at least three to four years.
“It is a big plan for a big project, but we are starting from somewhere before graduating it. Within four years, we shall start sending out power. Even the Kainji Dam, as we speak, is being enlarged and improved on. Sometimes some turbines are removed and replaced. Sometimes you will see the volume of water will be low, sometimes high depending on the general environmental conditions available that year.
“Why we were waiting for the state government to do its part, we had to hold the stakeholders meeting in Abuja, which was even supposed to be held in the state. After the meeting, the state government started requesting more funds, according to them, for public enlightenment and road construction.
“The governor had awarded the contract on the Baissa road, following his campaign promise. But he has now tied the road contract to the Mambilla project so that he can get the funding from there because he knows there is a provision for the construction of that road in the design of the Mambilla hydropower project.
“Now, all these delays from the state government have impacted the pace of the work. Otherwise, by now, we would have finished with surveys and identified beneficiaries. Compensation would have been done as well as the relocation of the affected people. By now, the consultant and contractors would have been at work on the site. The contractors can only move to the site when there is no issue concerning the land. So, you can see that everything now is in the hands of the state government.
“Once these activities are completed, we shall move to the next stage of compensation. Because there are individuals, communities or villages, schools and worship centres that are going to be compensated and relocated. And if there are villages and individuals to be moved and relocated to new places, it is the state government that is going to do that. And it is coming out of these surveys. The intra-ministerial committee has moved to Taraba to do further surveys and follow up on the stakeholders’ meeting.”
The Nation gathered that Governor Darius Ishaku’s prolonged absence from the state, coupled with his health challenge, has also delayed kickoff of work on the Mambilla hydropower dam plan.
Senior Correspondent Fanen Ihyongo, who spent four days in Sardauna, Taraba State, reports that all the sites of the Mambilla Hydropower Dam, advertised as the answer to the country’s power crisis, are still fishing grounds, with nothing to show for the colossal amount of money already spent in the name of constructing the power facility
SINCE its conception over 40 years ago, the Mambilla Hydropower project had existed only on the drawing board. Most people often mistake the planned Mambilla Dam in Sardauna for the Kashimbilla Dam in Takum.
Formerly designed to produce 2000 megawatts of electricity when completed, Governor Darius Ishaku, during his reign as Minister of Power, redesigned the Mambilla dam to its present 3050 megawatts capacity. But it was only paperwork.
Billions of naira had been allegedly taken using the Mambilla hydropower project as a conduit pipe.
A reliable source said: “Funds were siphoned several times through the National Integrated Power Projects, under the guise of constructing the Mambilla hydropower dam. And there were many of those imaginary power projects, of which the Mambilla dam was the easiest conduit pipe for siphoning funds.”
The Nation gathered that nothing was done more than “surveys” during the Obasanjo and Jonathan administrations, despite the huge funds which were appropriated for the Mambilla dam in separate budgets.
When President Muhammadu Buhari went to Jalingo -the Taraba state capital for his campaign rally on January 28, 2015, he said the previous governments were only doing politics with the Mambilla hydropower project.
“If I become president, I will revive and complete the Mambilla hydropower dam, which has been moribund,” he said. Buhari’s statement was disputed by former President Goodluck Jonathan who visited Taraba for his presidential rally the following day, January 29, 2015.
“Buhari has lied on the Mambilla Dam project,” Jonathan had said. The former president said he released the sum of $1 billion of the $1.5 billion contract sum, through counterpart funding for the project.
“The contractors are at the site and work is seriously going on. So, how can you complete work on what is already completed?” Jonathan asked.
On assumption of office as president on May 29, 2015, Buhari realised that the Mambilla hydropower dam had only existed in paper and imagination, and the term “moribund” which he used to describe the state of work on the dam was even inappropriate since the Mambilla dam never existed.
Thus, on August 30, 2017, Buhari awarded the contract for the engineering work on the Mambilla dam, through a joint venture with a Chinese civil engineering company for $5.792 billion (N2 trillion) to be partly funded by the China Export-Import (EXIM) Bank as a concessionary loan.
But EXIM, after its survey of the site and scrutiny of the project design, said the money was too much. The contract sum was subsequently reduced to $3 billion.
The Mambilla hydropower plant, if completed, will be the second power facility in Africa, after Ethiopia’s 6,000 megawatts.
The hydropower facility is designed to be a complex of dams on the Donga River in the eastern part of Taraba state, cutting across two local government areas: Sardauna and Kurmi.
One of the dams is to be constructed to serve as a reservoir at Tep, near Gar Hill, in Sardauna, where an instrument was installed in 1980 to record the volume and velocity of the water for 10 years.
Dahiru Abdulkadric, 31, is the caretaker of the instrument. The federal government had employed his father to be looking after the instrument since 1980 when he was not born. He eased into his dad’s position when he died two years ago.
•A locally-made bridge at River Ju, on the way to Tep, one of the sites
“This Mambilla dam project has been to me like a dream. My father used to talk about it. Now he has gone and I am doing his job.
“They told us they are coming to compensate and move us to new places. We have waited and become tired. But we are ready if the government is sincere and serious about the project,” he said.
There will also be reservoirs at Barup, Yerimaru, and Magu. The main dam will be built in Akororo, Baissa village of Kurmi local government area.
In Sardauna, The Nation visited three of the sites, including Tep and Barup, where there is a waterfall. All the areas are still fishing grounds.
At the waterfall at Barup, this reporter saw some young men fishing. He shunned them and headed for business. But one of the fishermen, Jubrilla Usmanu, 27, got his attention when he approached him, advertising his fish for sale.
The Barup waterfall is a beautiful sight to visit. It’s sounds and gulls are both frightening and exhilarating for tourists. The water is perennially red, because of the colour of the rock formation of River Donga’s upper mountain course.
Underneath the waterfall is a plunged pool where the water turbulently spins in random directions.
On top of the waterfall is a table of water surrounded by rock beds. Here, the water revolves, swirls or spins clockwise in reaction to the Coriolis force.
The Mambilla hydropower facility is to have four dams in all. One of the dams will be 150 metres high; two others will be 70 metres high while the smallest one will be 50 metres in height. The entire power facility is to produce 3,050 megawatts, equivalent to a quarter of Nigeria’s current capacity.
Minister of Power spokesman Aaron Artimas said the construction would take four years if work commences this year. But Musa Dauda Kara, a retired surveyor who worked with some Chinese contractors at the site in 2003, told The Nation that the construction and other engineering works on the power facility will take not less than 10 years, considering the targeted output.
“Construction will take not less than 10 years to complete if the workers are very serious about the work. Even if they are working day and night, it will take over seven years.
“So, Buhari cannot finish the project before his exit time. He has only three years of service left and the work has not commenced. He will be remembered for starting the work, but nobody should lie to him that his administration will complete the project,” Kara said.
Sources said this is the first time the Federal Government has shown “sincerity of purpose” on the project. The awareness has been very high. A Technical Committee, an Inter-ministerial Steering Committee (IMSC) and Project Delivery Committee (PDC) have been set up, on the prompting of the president.
The international arbitration in Paris initiated by Sunrise Power and Transmission Co., a company that once held the construction contract of the Mambilla has also been resolved, clearing the legal obstacle to the hydropower plant’s construction.
In 2003, the ministry of power awarded the project to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL), a local content partner. In 2012, a general project execution agreement (GPEA) with SPTCL was signed. But in 2017, the Federal Government signed another engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract with Sinohhydro Corporation of China (CGGC) and CGCOC to form a joint venture for the execution of the project -excluding SPTCL. SPTCL then dragged the federal government and its Chinese partners before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, France, over what it called “breach of contract.”
The Chinese government then asked Nigeria to settle the legal dispute, otherwise, it would not provide the funds for the Mambilla power project. The minister’s spokesman, Aaron Artimas, yesterday said the legal issue has also been settled (out of court) and will not affect the project execution.
The Mambilla hydropower project has gotten the attention of Nigerians, because of its values when completed. Taraba residents are daily talking about it, especially in Sardauna and Kurmi local government areas. However, some locals are still doubtful about the reality of the project.
“We have been hearing this gist about the Mambilla hydropower dam for many years, with nothing to show on the ground,” a resident said.
The road to Barup -the waterfall where one of the Mambilla dams will be constructed, is a mere bush path or a grazing route. From Nguroje village, this reporter spent 1:45 minutes to get there on a motorbike. On getting close to the site, the motorbike could not go. He completed the journey on foot. A cow and its calf were seen grazing and shimmering on the narrow path to the area.
In 2007, Obasanjo flagged off the Mambilla dam project by laying a block in Gembu -the headquarters of Sardauna, instead of the site. He also inspected the waterfall at Barup by aircraft.
The spokesman to the Minister of Power, Aaron Artimas, told The Nation that the Federal Government has released to the Taraba State government the funds for compensation for land and other property that may be affected by the construction of the project. Governor Darius Ishaku, however, has been reluctant to collect the cheque which was due since December last year.
Artimas said the affected people would readily accept compensation and relocation with persuasion and proper compensation, “especially now that they are beginning to see physical work about to start on the site.”
“Surveyors have done their job of identifying the affected communities, homes, farmlands and persons. They have already been paid. Next is compensation and relocation of the affected persons,” he said.
Many do not believe the project will start this year. Mrs. Yorte Sorandi was only 18 years when the instrument for measuring the volume of water from January to December was installed at Tep in 1980. This reporter met her at River Ju.
“I was only 18 years then. With my small body, I was not married yet. I watched as my father assisted the white men who put the instrument. They said they were going to construct for us a hydropower dam.
“Today, I am 58, and no block has been laid, no iron has been cast. When will they start the project?” she asked.
How Nigerians will benefit from the Mambilla Dam project
The Mambilla Hydropower Dam, when completed, will become the second-biggest power facility in Africa, after the Grand Renaissance Dam of Ethiopia which produces 6,000 megawatts of electricity annually. The Mambilla dam is to produce 3050 megawatts of electricity when completed, equivalent to a quarter of Nigeria’s current capacity.
For now, Nigeria has 13,000 megawatts of installed electricity-production capacity, of which 80 per cent of it comes from gas-fired plants. Only 7,500 megawatts of that is available and only about 4,000 megawatts are dispatched to the grid each day. This means, with 3050 megawatts output, the Mambilla facility will be able to send out power to the entire country and as well export to Cameroon.
When The Nation visited the sites, young Nigerian okada men were transporting fuel on motorbikes to Cameroon where the petroleum product is used to power their vehicles and local power generating plants. Therefore, Nigeria will also generate revenues from Cameroon by selling them our electricity.
70,000 persons are estimated to get jobs when work on the Mambilla power plant begins. When completed, it will create 150,000 jobs to Nigerians particularly the youth. Taraba youths stand to benefit more. President Muhammadu Buhari said: “The engagement of Nigerian youths in the Mambilla hydropower facility will reduce the rate of violence in the country.”
Taraba’s River Donga will benefit industrial and economic activities such as increased fishing and new farming activities along the shoreline as well as tourism.
•A locally-made bridge at River Ju, on the way to Tep, one of the sites
Sources said over 50,000 residents of Sardauna depend on tea production, particularly the Kakara Tea factory for survival, of which the absence of a steady source of power prevents the tea factories from peak production. It was gathered that the lack of power on the Mambilla Plateau made Governor Darius Ishaku provide the Tunga Dam Hydropower -a micro power plant, to support tea production and other economic activities on the Plateau. The Mambilla Hydropower Dam will be the biggest driver of social, economic, tourism and even sports activities in the area.
Nomadic Fulani herdsmen, not killer-herdsmen, have said they are ready to cooperate with the federal and state governments for the Mambilla hydropower dam to become a reality.
They spoke to The Nation when our correspondent visited Tep -a river course where a reservoir is going to be constructed to boost the turbines of the main dam in Akororo.
Tep is in Sardauna local government area, while Akororo is in Kurmi council.
Speaking on behalf of the Fulani herdsmen in Lemen Ngirka, Musa Bakari Huundi, 35, said: “Let them start the project now. We welcome it.
“Some people, including white men, had come in the past, but work was started. I believe, with the publicity and enlightenment this time around, work will soon start, and the dam is going to be a beautiful project,” he said.
Huundi said he was among those to be compensated and warned that “the state government should not fail us.”
Standing at the edge of a mountain, he showed this reporter a bottomless gorge of the tributary of River Ju where one of his cows fell and died.
The major ethnic groups living in Sardauna are Mambilla, Fulani, Kaka, Panso, and Kambo. It was gathered that the Mambilla are the ones affected. In Kurmi the most affected are the Tigun, with a few of Ndola and Ichen.
Another source said: “In Sardauna, some Fulani and Kaka are also affected and shall be compensated.”
Taraba State Commissioner for Power Badina Garba promised to give details of the benefiting groups but later shied away from granting our interview.
“The Mambilla Hydropower Dam is the best thing that will happen to us. It will bring change to this place and the entire Taraba.
“But let them compensate us -the Fulani too. We are the ones who own some of these pasturelands here. But I am told our names are not on the list of compensation. They must include us. If they pay us, we are ready to cooperate,” the herdsman, Huundi said.
From John Ofikhenua, Bolaji Ogundele, Jide Orintunsin, Sanni Onogu, Victor Oluwasegun, Friday Otabor and Ibrahim Rasaq
Sunday’s explosion that ravaged a community at Abule Ado, a Lagos State suburb attracted commiseration with notable Nigerians, including President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President Ahmed Lawan and House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.
Governors Olurotimi Akeredolu (Ondo); Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command (WNC), Rear Admiral Oladele Daji; Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
They commiserated with the victims, members of their families, the people and government of Lagos State, describing the devastating explosion that claimed lives, properties and left many severely injured as unfortunate.
In message by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu, the President said the explosion, just like any other disaster in any part of the country, was a national tragedy.
He hinted that NNPC was already making efforts to ascertain the cause of the explosion, which affected one of its pipelines.
The statement reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari commiserates with families who lost loved ones, and all those affected by explosion in Abule Ado, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, on Sunday (yesterday).
“The President condoles with the Lagos State government and all residents affected by the unfortunate incident, which left many injured and destroyed property.
“I have received with sadness the news of this unfortunate incident which caused loss of lives and property.
“A misfortune of whatever scale anywhere is a tragedy to the country, and while the NNPC makes efforts to determine the cause of the incident, I send my deepest and profound sympathies to the victims, their families, government and people of Lagos State.”
Senator Lawan called for a thorough investigation to determine the cause and extent of damage of the explosion.
Commiserating with the victims and all those who lost loved ones to the incident, the Senate President also sympathised with those who were injured and those who lost property to the inferno, his spokesman Ola Awoniyi said in a statement.
Lawan commiserated with the Lagos State Government over the tragic incident and prayed to God to comfort all those who are affected and called on the relevant authorities and agencies to get to the root of the incident with a view to forestalling a recurrence.
Tinubu wants perpetrators punished
All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu condemned the explosion and commiserated with families and relations of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate occurrence.
In a statement his Media Office signed by Tunde Rahman, Asiwaju Tinubu, said all those who had a hand in the unfortunate incident must be punished no matter how highly placed.
He said: “This tragedy should not have happened. Those who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident did not deserve to die so gruesomely.
“I strongly condemn this incident. I commiserate with families and relations of those who died. I also sympathise with those who lost their valued property.
“In their memories and in order to avert similar occurrence in future, the authorities must get to the root of this incident and curb incessant explosions in the area.
“All those who had a hand in this explosion, including those who acted in ways to put lives at risk and hard-earned possessions in jeopardy, must be punished, no matter how highly-placed they may be.”
APC lauds first responders
The All Progressives Congress (APC) commiserated with victims and commended the emergency response led by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Fire Service and other agencies in quickly containing the incident and attending to the injured.
Its National Publicity Secretary Lanre Issa-Onilu said in statement: “The party deeply condoles with families and loved ones over recorded deaths, we also wish the injured a speedy and full recovery and sympathise with residents who lost property in the explosion.
“We are confident that the Lagos state government will implement measures to bring succour to the victims.”
Akeredolu condoles with victims, Sanwo-Olu
Governor Akeredolu condoled with the Lagos State Government and victims of the explosion.
His condolence was contained in a statement by his Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo.
Akeredolu described the incident as a sad development that reinforced the need for caution and vigilance on the part of all Nigerians irrespective of status.
He said: “Without prejudice to the outcome of a possible probe into this unfortunate incident, the loss of several lives and valuable assets to such an incident calls for deeper introspection, caution and endless vigilance.
“Sad occurrences of this nature, especially avoidable ones, can only be stemmed by our relentless and conscious efforts devoid of status.
“To my brother Governor, Babajide, the good people of Lagos State and indeed victims as well as those who lost their ones, including property, the prayers of the good people of Ondo State are with them at this crucial moment of grief.”
Gbajabiamila sympathises
Expressing sadness, called for calm as the state government began frantic efforts to ascertain the cause of the incident.
The Speaker commended the state government as well as relevant agencies for taking action following the explosion.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker said everything should be done to avert the reoccurrence of such incident in future.
“My heart goes out to the people of Abule Ado, especially the victims of the explosion, in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area. I also sympathise with the people and Government of Lagos State over the incident
“May I call on all the agencies of government to do diligent work to ascertain the cause of the explosion to avert a reocurrence”
Fayemi identifies with Sanwo-Olu
Ekiti State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi commiserated with the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and families of victims, residents and business owners who lost properties.
In a statement by his spokesman Yinka Oyebode, the Ekiti governor regretted the huge losses recorded during the early morning fire, urging the victims not to lose hope in the face of the disaster.
He also called on Nigerians generally to be conscious of safety of their environment, especially during this dry season.
The statement reads: “We commiserate with families that lost their loved ones as well as residents and business owners who lost properties worth several millions of naira to the fire incident.”
How it happened, by NNPC
No the NNPC, the early hours was as a result of gas explosion which occurred after a truck hit some gas cylinders stacked in a gas processing plant located near the corporation’s system 2B Pipeline Right of Way.
In a press release signed by NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, the corporation explained that preliminary findings indicated that the impact of the explosion was so huge that it led to the collapse of nearby houses and damage to NNPC pipeline on which efforts are being made to curtail the resultant fire.
The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari and other top managers of the agency were on their way to Lagos last night for an on-the-spot assessment.
According to him, following the report of the explosion, the corporation quickly halted ongoing pumping operations on the Atlas Cove-Mosimi pipeline which was active at the time.
The release explained that NNPC had already mobilised its in-house combined team consisting of health safety environment experts, medical and security personnel from its nearby Satellite Depot in Lagos, even as Lagos State Fire Service was also rallied to extinguish the fire.
The statement said more fire firefighting personnel and equipment were mobillised from the NNPC Mosimi Area Office to provide extra fillip to the ongoing operation.
Assuring members of the public and residents of the affected communities to remain calm, the NNPC’s spokesman assured that the temporary shutdown of the petroleum products pipeline would not affect the normal supply of products to the Lagos and its environs.
