…as Governor Sule seeks timely execution of project
The Federal Government, under the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, has moved to relocate the Mangar community in Wamba Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, to have way for the completion of the Farin Ruwa Multipurpose Dam project.
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Prof. Joseph Utsev, disclosed this when he led a delegation on a courtesy visit on Governor Abdullahi Sule at the Government House on Thursday.
According to the Minister, represented at the event by Engr. Ali Ibrahim Dallah, Director Dam and Reservoirs, it has become necessary to relocate the Mangar community to safer grounds in order to allow for the completion of the project now estimated at 42 percent completion.
Engr. Prof Utsev recalled that the Federal Government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Nasarawa State Government in 2018 for the handing over of the Farin Ruwa Dam project, earlier initiated by the first civilian administration of Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
He disclosed that the multipurpose dam currently being executed by China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) has reached 42 percent completion.
“The project includes a 65-metre-high, 750-metre-long embankment designed to store 73 million cubic metres of water, a 500-metre saddle dam, an intake tower, a 200-metre service bridge, a 150-metre concrete spillway, a 120-metre discharge channel, and a 20-kilometre access road with drainage,” he added.
The Minister noted that on completion, the project will deliver 20 megawatts of hydroelectricity, water supply, irrigation for agriculture, as well as tourism opportunities.
“The purpose of the project therefore, is for the generation of 20 megawatts of hydroelectricity, water supply for safe drinking water, and sanitation, irrigation and drainage for food production, flood control, recreation and tourism,” he said.
The Minister added that they were in Lafia to seek further collaboration with critical stakeholders.
“We are here to intimate on the need and modalities to relocate and resettle Mangar community to a safe location because when the dam is fully completed, the storage of water will inundate the entire settlement. We request that there should be stakeholders engagement and consultation and provision of land and CofO for the resettlement area, including the entire project area, which we have already made a request to the office of His Excellency,” he said.
While assuring the commitment of his ministry towards the completion of the long awaited project, Engr. Utsev commended the Governor Sule administration for constructing the Sisin Baki-Farin Ruwa access road which allowed contractors to mobilize to site.
He added that consultations with stakeholders would be intensified to resolve the resettlement process without further delay.
In his response, Governor Abdullahi Sule, called for the timely execution of the project which would open up the area to development.
Governor Sule expressed concern on the planned relocation of the Mangar community without a timeline for completing the project, especially that the inhabitants would be forced to abandon their homes and farms, as well as their source of livelihoods.
“We don’t want to start something now, after relocating the people to the high ground, and they continue to wait for the dam to be completed. Relocating them means taking away their farms and means of livelihoods,” he stated.
He stressed that while his administration would not abandon its responsibilities, relocation must be carefully planned to protect the livelihoods of residents who risk losing their homes and farms.
Commenting on the over N8bn earmarked for the relocation, the Governor pointed out, if not for the delay in relocating the community as earlier scheduled, the cost of the exercise would have been less.
Governor Sule assured that his administration would do everything possible to fast track the completion of the project, directing the lawmaker representing the area at the state assembly, his Commissioner, as well as traditional rulers, to liaise with officials of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, with a view to arriving at modalities for relocating the community.
“I want our Member and Commissioner to pick it up and relate with them, we can engage our royal fathers to inform the community that we are coming in but we want to have some Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), we design that Nasarawa State is willing to invest some more and give the CofO that you have requested,” he said.
He expressed appreciation that the delay in completing the project has also saved the state government from constructing the bridge linking Mangar to other communities in the area, which would have been removed to pave way to the dam.
Also speaking, the paramount traditional ruler in the area, the Gom Mama, HRH Alhaji Bala Adams Zubairu, commended Governor Sule as being the first to open the area with a road project.
“You have done a lot to us. You are the first Governor to construct a road to the area. You are the one looking at all possibilities to make sure that there is development in that axis. We thank you for that,” he said.
The Gom Mama pointed out the relocation is pivotal to the project, assuring the cooperation of the people of the area towards the successful completion of the Farin Ruwa Dam project.
“We have already discussed and they have seen the need for them to be relocated. We have already identified some areas that they feel would be higher, water would not be able to reach,” he said.
