The Kebbi State Government has pledged to support the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission to ensure power stability and redress ecological problems in the state.
The Deputy Governor, Sama’ila Yombe-Dabai, gave the assurance when members of the Governing Council of HYPADEC, led by its Chairman, Joseph Terfa-Ityav, paid him a courtesy visit in Birnin Kebbi on Friday.
Yombe-Dabai said: “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 Governor Atiku Bagudu-led administration on power stability which has increased investments in agricultural sector in the state.”
Yombe-Dabai also congratulated the Managing Director of the commission, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq-Yelwa, on his appointment.
The Deputy Governor described him as result-oriented person who was a commissioner in the state prior to his appointment as the pioneer MD 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.
He said the commission recently 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.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that according to the HYPPADEC (Establishment) Act (No. 87 of 2010), the commission is expected to, 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.