The Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPADEC) is to collaborate with the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) for further dredging of the Niger and Benue rivers to ease water transportation.
Chairman, Governing Council of HYPADEC Mr Joseph Ityav, disclosed this when he led members of the council and management of the commission on a courtesy visit to NIWA headquarters in Lokoja.
Ityav who said the visit was part of the familiarisation tour of the six member states of the commission said riverine communities along the flood plains where the hydroelectric power dams were sited had continued to suffer flood and other ecological challenges.
“HYPADEC was signed into law since 2010, it could not take off. People have faced challenges in about 30 to 40 years since the establishment of the dams.
“We have problems with water transportation and we are looking at possible collaboration with NIWA on dredging.
Hypadec is set up to alleviate the sufferings of the people, to improve the living standards of host communities where we have hydroelectric power dams.
“Many of the them are facing ecological challenges as their farmlands are being washed away by the overflow of the dams aside loss of land and houses, they loss their primary source of livelihood which is basically agriculture”, the chairman said.
The Managing Director, Dr George Moghalu, represented by Mr Iloba Asindi, General Manager, (Engineering) said major business activities of NIWA included improvement and development of Inland Waterways for navigation.
Moghalu said the duties of NIWA and HYPADEC on the waterways were without restrictions and had left them with multiple opportunities for collaboration.
He said there was need for a detailed and accurate data such as flow velocity, water surface gradient, variation of daily water level and sediment flow analysis to achieve sound models and designs among others.
Tha News Agency of Nigeria NAN reports that the HYPADEC team was also in Adavi Local Government of Kogi where they were jointly addressed by the Ohi of Adavi, Alhaji Mohammed Bello and the Ohi of Eganyi, Alhaji Musa Osuja.
The traditional rulers both expressed delight that the commission had finally taken off after several years of agitations and commended President Muhammadu Buhari for making their dreams a reality.
In a colourful reception for the HYPADEC Governing Council and management team, the traditional rulers appealed to the commission to ensure due diligence in the onerous assignment of interventions in the host riverine communities.
Ityav in his response said, “As chairman of the commission, I will ensure there is equity in the distribution of projects in all the states and that is one thing we will endure at HYPADEC.
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Credit: NAN
