FG To Establish Hydroelectric Power Commission Soon – AGF

As Malami’s NGO Donates N2.5m To Kebbi Flood Victims

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN has said that the federal government was planning to establish the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC).

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He said the commission would among other things generate additional power for the country as well as address its flooding challenges.

The AGF disclosed this in Argungu during his visit to communities in Kebbi State that were recently ravaged by flood, as quoted in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria has set all machineries in motion to assiduously ensure swift take-off of the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) with a view to addressing the perennial challenge of flooding and manage other ecological menace ravaging the people in the areas.

Malami stressed that addressing the ecological challenges of the affected areas were long overdue.

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“In the recent past Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Plateau and similar states of the federation have been experiencing annual flooding of the River Niger and its tributaries of the three hydro-electricity dams in Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro resulting to unquantifiable afflictions including loss of lives, property, agricultural produce, land degradation, shelters, farms and environments,” he said.

The Minister also made cash donations to the affected communities in a bid to cushion the effect of the unsavory development.

“Malami who sympathized with the people, the emir and the emirates over the incident, prayed for Allah’s intervention against reoccurance of such experience.

“The Minister, in collaboration with his two non-governmental organizations, handed over a cash denotation of one point five million naira and one million naira to Argungu and Augie communities respectively and promised that his two Non-Governmental Organizations of Kadi Malami Foundation and Khadimiyya for Justice and Development will directly reach out to the affected communities and offer them humanitarian support and assistance,” the statement partly read.

The planned establishment of the Hydroelectric Commission, according to the AGF’s Spokesperson, had the backing of an Act of the National Assembly.

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The statement further reads:

“According to the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (Establishment, Etc,) Act, 2010 (No. 87 of 2010), the Commission shall, among other things:

(a) formulate policies and guidelines for the development of hydroelectric power producing areas;
(b) carry out a survey of hydroelectric power producing areas in order to ascertain measures which are necessary to promote its physical development;
(c) prepare schemes designed to promote the physical developments of the hydroelectric power producing areas:
(d) implement all measures approved for development of hydroelectric power producing areas by the Federal Government; and
(e) tackle ecological problems that arise from overloading of dams in the hydroelectric power producing areas and advise Federal and State Governments on the prevention and control of floods and environmental hazards.”

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