A Non Governmental Organisation the Coalition of Shiroro Association in Niger state has threatened to institute legal action and obtain a court order restraining the Federal Government from commissioning and further work on multi billion naira Zungeru Hydroelectric power dam if their demands were not met.
Spokesperson of the Coalition Comrade Salis Sabo said this while addressing Newsmen in Kuta headquarters of Shiroro local government council over their pathetic sitaution.
Comrade Salis Sabo further explained that they will in addition to this occupy the dam premises in a peaceful protest against the commissioning of seven hundred megawatt Zungeru Hydroelectric dam as clamoured by those affected by the project after exhausting all constitutional avenues of seeking redress.
According to him they will also petitioned the World Bank on inability of Federal Government to fulfil its side of terms and condition for the loan obtained in an International Financial Institution to finance Zungeru Hydroelectric dam project.
Comrade Salis Sabo would also wants the name Zungeru dam be replaced with Shiroro or Manta dam since ninety five percent of this dam is located at Shiroro local government council and not Zungeru the headquarters of Wushishi local government council.
Also speaking Chairman Coalition of Shiroro Association Comrade Usman Ibrahim Kuta demanded that those whose properties have not been captured in the initial exercise be captured and assessed with special consideration to those who lost their land and were rẹndered homeless by activities of Shiroro dam project.
A victim and Village Head of Bawyi Malam Isa Usman Kuta lamented that over fifty communities were affected by Zungeru dam project and properties worth millions of naira destroyed while many people have died as a result of trauma they went through due to non payment of their compensation and called on the Federal Government to come to their aid.
Chairman Shiroro Local Government Council Suleiman Dauda Chukuba in his remarks assured them of his continued governments support at all times to succeed and called for the payment of adequate compensation and resetlement of victims to ammeliorate their hardship.
The Coalition of Shiroro Association is responding to statement credited to Minister of Works and Hounsing Barr Babatunde Raji Fashola of Federal Government rediness to commission the one point three billion US dollars Zungeru Hydroelectric dam project by December this year when he appeared before the Senate to defend twenty twenty two budget estimate of his ministry.
Cov Aliyu Lawal Minna