By Raphael Ekpang
The Senate committee on power led by Senator Gabriel Suswam has okay the concession of the 700 megawatts Zungeru hydroelectric power project.
The Minister of power, Engr. Abubakar Aliyu, who addressed the Senate Committee on Power on Wednesday said, the Zungeru hydroelectric dam was financed jointly by China Exim Bank and the Nigerian government.
Aliyu also emphasised that the hydroelectric infrastructure is still owned by the federal government and the concession is only for a period of 30 years.
He said government has been diligently addressing all the challenges facing the Zungeru power project to make it secure and functional for more electricity supply, so as to meet the energy demands of Nigerians.
According to the Minister, “All the best practices and regulations have been complied with to ensure that Nigeria is not shortchanged in the concession agreement,” he said.
However, Senator Yusuf Yusuf had wanted an alright sale of the plant considering the fact that the $70m yearly payment for the concession might not be realistic, but majority of the committee members agreed that the deal was in the best interest of the country.
The committee also advised that public enlightenment on the happenings in the power sector should be carried out.
