The Federal Government is awaiting the comprehensive list of those who own the land where the 3,050 megawatts Mambilla Hydropower Plant is located to commence the payment of compensation.
It was gathered in Abuja on Monday that while the Federal Government had made payments for survey works and sensitisation of the affected communities, it had yet to make progress on the project due to the non-payment of compensation.
Officials at the Abuja headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Power told our correspondent that the Taraba State Government had yet to send the list of beneficiaries to be compensated several months after the request was made by the Federal Government.
The PUNCH had on March 11 exclusively reported that the Federal Government released N700m to carry out survey works on the project site for the 3,050 megawatts Mambilla Hydropower Plant in Taraba State.
The Federal Ministry of Power said the N700m, which was released to the Taraba State Government, would be used by surveyors to ascertain the actual land area for the project before the commencement of compensation to beneficiaries.
Officials at the FMP told our correspondent on Monday that the payment of compensation to owners of the land where the N2tn power plant is located had yet to begin.
The Special Assistant to the Minister of Power on Media and Communications, Aaron Artimas, said, “You see the problem is that we have done our own part by releasing money for the site survey and sensitisation.
“That is where we stopped because the state government is supposed to assign other tasks to us since land is vested on state governments. So we are waiting for them to submit the list of beneficiaries for compensation so that the exercise will commence.” (Punch)