North-East govs cry out over neglect of Mambilla power plant

By Ndahi Marama

North East Governors Forum, NEGF, yesterday, raised the alarm over what it described as the seeming neglect of the Mambilla Hydro power plant and called on Federal Government to expedite action on the completion and take-off of the plant.
Rising from its 13th Regular meeting in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, NEGF, in an 11-point Communique, also acknowledged the intervention role of the North East Development Commisssion, NEDC, but called for it to investment more in the education sector.
Present at the meeting Chaired by Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State were Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, Governor Muhammadu Yahaya of Gombe State; Mohammed Auwal Jatau, Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, representing the Governor of Bauchi State, among others.
Fintiri, who read the communique, said: “Forum acknowledges the concerted effort made by member states in providing power and energizing the subregion. It has moved the energy agenda from isolated state concerns to a regional energy agenda. The Dadinkowa hydropower plant now feeds the national grid. It encourages all member states to take advantage of the new electricity law and abundant sunshine to strengthen the electricity needs of the subregion and expanding solar and mini-grid solutions for development.
“Forum reiterates its long-standing concern over the seeming neglect of the Mambilla Hydro power plant and call on the Federal Government to take advantage of the recent clearance of the legal encumbrance with the the arbitration ruling on the matter, to expedite action on the completion and take-off of the plant.”
“Forum acknowledges the intervention role of the NEDC in the sub-region. It calls for more investment in the Education sector, especially the release of the long-awaited scholarship awards to indigent students of the subregion and deploying more resource into the campaign for reducing the burden of out of school children and a coordinated support for the Tsangaya education.”