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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has commenced payment of compensation to farmers in Abia State whose cash crops and other economic trees are within the Alaoji-Onitsha transmission line right of way and will be destroyed during the expansion of the line project.
Assistant General Manager, Health Safety and Environment for TCN Donor Financed Projects (World Bank, African Development Bank, French Development Agency and Japan International Cooperation Agency), Arome Adole, disclosed this to newsmen in Aba, Abia State.
Adole recalled that on April 30, TCN paid compensation for structures affected by the project within Abia State, adding that the second phase of the compensation was for those whose crops and economic trees would be affected by the project. It would also provide what he called ‘livelihood restoration support’.
“We are currently training members of the community on skill acquisition and alternative means of income. We are also going to give start-up funds to assist the traders, artisans and other small petty business owners that are doing business under our line. We are going to evacuate them from the corridor of our line.
“We will also introduce them to modern ways of doing business. We are doing this besides paying them compensation for their affected properties.
“It is called ‘livelihood restoration’ because their standard of living is not supposed to depreciate as a result of the implementation of this project,” Adole stated.
He added that as soon as compensations are paid, the affected persons should harvest as much farm produce as they have on the land, as TCN bulldozers would be moving to the site immediately.
Adole advised people who have one complaint or the other to visit the TCN office in Aba, where their complaints would be documented.
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Also speaking, Bassey Uzodinma, Chief Executive, PGM Nigeria Limited and consultant to TCN on the implementation of the resettlement action plan for the Alaoji-Onitsha Transmission Line, said apart from paying compensation for structures that will be demolished during the expansion project, farmers whose crops will be destroyed along the line are also being compensated.
“So far, N12.6b is going into this compensation, and you can see that it is enormous.
“In Abia, we have about 685 structures. In Imo, we have over 1,200 structures. I can’t speak for Anambra because we have not paid them.
“For crops, we have over 2000. What we did was to come back and reduce the number without reducing the quantum of compensation.”
Uzodinma commended TCN for accepting his firm’s recommendation to stagger the right of way, reducing the width of the corridor at some critical points of densely populated areas, which amounted to about 35 km out of the 138 km of the transmission line.
“TCN accepted our recommendation to stagger the right of way; that means reducing the width of the corridor at some critical points of densely populated areas, and those account for about 35km out of the 138km of the transmission line, and you find this in all three states.
“So, the compensation now is just for shops, fences, and in some critical areas, a whole residential building. We have taken time to educate our people to avoid encroachment,” he said.
