By Musa Umar Bologi
The National Union of Electricity Generation and Transmission Employees (NUEGTE) has said that the lives of its members at the Shiroro Hydroelectric Power Station, Niger State, are in danger due rising terrorists attacks on communities in the area.
NUEGTE Zonal Organising Secretary (North), Comrade Eyurentosanren Emmanuel Godwin, said this while speaking with journalistsat the internally displaced people’s (IDP) camp located at the Day Secondary School Shiroro.
Niger state has been plagued by activities of bandits and, in recent times, Boko Haram terrorists, which have led to loss of lives, abductions of residents and destruction of properties, including farmlands.
Godwin said the presence of IDPs at the school, which is close to the station, was a security threat to both the workers and the hydro facilities.
“By now we don’t know whether the IDP camp is already infiltrated by the terrorists. We can’t identify a terrorist by mere looking at his/her face, only when he or she acts.
“Few days ago we heard that an IDP camp was set ablaze in Borno state. We know that the people did not just put fire on the camp; but it was set ablaze by the Boko Haram terrorists. We don’t want the same to repeat itself here. The terrorists may want to infiltrate this place when they discover that there is an IDP camp here. And when they do they will surely harm the staff.”
Godwin called on the federal government to deploy more security personnel to safeguard electricity installations and workers.
“Although the government has deployed some soldiers, it is not enough. It should deploy like a battalion to this place, and they should be fully armed with surveillance equipment, land mine detector and armoured vehicles, because the adversaries are terrorists these people are terrorists not just bandits. They have killed many people and we don’t want the casualties of our staff. We are now leaving in fear.
“We also plead to the state government to relocate the IDPs to another location, to enable students to continue with their education. As it is now students are being distracted by the presence of IDPs in the school environment.”
When contacted, the Director General of the state Emergency Management Agency, Ahmad Inga, said he was yet to receive information on the new camps in Shiroro, adding that he has not been briefed officially by the Shiroro local government council.
Shiroro Hydroelectric Power Station, located in Shiroro local government of Niger State was commissioned on June 20, 1990 by the then Military President, Ibrahim Babangida, and had a total installed capacity of 600 Megawatts.
It was, however, franchised by the federal government on November 1, 2013, during the government privatization exercise, and currently operated by the North South Power Company Limited (NSPCL).
The power station is very strategic to Nigeria, as some northern states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) take their direct electricity supply from the station.