More compensation for 700mw Zungeru hydropower victims ready’
The Federal Ministry of Power has said the compensation process for the ongoing 700megawatts (mw) Zungeru Hydropower in Niger State is ongoing as funds are ready for disbursement.
A director in the ministry who is privy to the proceedings told Daily Trust that the ministry is working according to directives. He said the various compensations have been processed and monies would soon be disbursed by the bank to the attorneys and the state government.
The official, who maintained that he was not authorised to speak, said: “All the evaluations that we did have been processed and mandates have been submitted to the bank for payment. Unfortunately, there is some delay to making that payment. Initially we started the payment for everyone that will be affected by the reservoir,” he said.
Explaining the payment process, he said: “We are paying three emirates: Minna, Kagara and Kontagora emirate councils. The one upstream falls under Minna Emirate. They will be displaced when the waters come in 2017 when the dam will be completed and there will be impoundment.
“The one where the contractor is working now is under the Kagara Emirate and that is who the consultants are attending to now. For the Minna Emirate, their money has been processed and we gave them a copy of the bank mandate. Anytime soon, the money will be credited to their account.
On the resettlement of people in the dam area, he said, “There are 35 sites around the dam. The sites have been assessed and compensations calculated. The money will be transferred to the Niger State account to pay and the mandate is in the bank too. The state government is aware as we have written a letter to them.
“The court gave an order and we have responded. These are things they said we should do. We have communicated to them by sending a letter to the Emir of Minna and the state government stating all that the ministry had done,” the official said.
He stressed that the bank credit alerts would come in shortly when the budget is released.