Niger Demands Membership Of Oil Producing Communities

The Niger State Government has urged the National Assembly to consider and include the host communities of the three hydro electric dams in Niger state while considering the petroleum producing host communities bill.
A statement by the Niger State Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Jonathan Vatsa on Monday called on the Federal government to, as matter urgency, look into the plight of the host communities of the three hydro dams.
He stated that “since there is a bill to cater for the petroleum producing host communities it is only fair that the opportunity is used to consider the electricity producing host communities who have been suffering in silence over the years.”
Mr Vatsa observed that there are host communities of the dams who up till date are not enjoying the electricity produced from their community which is having serious environmental impact on them, and that with the bill their interest will be catered for just like the oil-producing host communities.
According to the commissioner it will be a great relief to the state government that had been trying to meet the demands of these host communities with little resources and the present economic recession that has hit the states.
Vatsa wrote: “The state government under Governor Abubakar Sani Bello takes seriously the suffering of the people from every parts of the state, unfortunately these by the electricity producing host communities have been left long unattended to. With the bill, the people and indeed the government will heave a sigh of relief.”
Consequently, he declare that “we are urging all our representatives in the National assembly to ensure that they make this a reality. They should also ensure the take-off of the Hydro Power Producing Area Development Commission (HYPPADEC). The host communities need the attention as their oil producing host communities counterparts.”