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The Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) said it distributed 2,500 motorcycles to vigilante members in 1,800 communities to help in the fight against insecurity.
The Managing Director of the commission, Alhaji Abubakar Yelwa, disclosed this to n in Ilorin on Monday at opening of a 5-day training for 300 HYPPADEC personnel on skill development for organisational productivity.
Yelwa said that the intervention had yielded good results in the fight against insurgency and banditry in the commission’s areas of coverage.
“When we came, we realised that the communities want to defend themselves but the bandits go there highly equipped and with motorcycles and our vigilante groups do not have such kinds of facilities.
“So, we bought 2,500 motorcycles and distributed them to 1,800 communities. Not to individuals, but to vigilante groups of those communities so that it can improve on the security of the communities, and this proved effective.
“Also, when we came, we realised that there is persistent deaths as a result of canoe and boat mishaps in riverine transportation system.
“So, we bought 10,000 life jackets to save lives of commuters and we plan to buy even more, so that nobody would travel on the rivers without life jackets,” said the HYPPADEC boss.
NAN reports that the Act establishing the commission mandated it to serve hydro-power producing states or where hydro power generating facilities are located, including Kebbi, Plateau, Kwara, Niger, Kogi, Benue, Taraba, Gombe and Kaduna States.
Yelwa, who noted that the commission has performed well to meet the objectives of which it was established, said that it succeeded in needs assessment exercise.
“We went round 1,800 communities in HYPPADEC zone to know their basic needs, problems and expectations, so that policies and implementation will be those generated from the people.
“We have also constructed 160 solar boreholes in 57 local government areas that make up the commission.
“We are presently working to construct 1,000 hand pumps in the 1,800 communities and we have already given out contract for rehabilitation of 1,000 existing boreholes and hand pumps that had gone out of use.
“We are already constructing 58 blocks of three classrooms and offices for primary schools as part of our primary school education development programme in 58 areas and identified another 58 existing primary schools for full rehabilitation,” Yelwa said.
He disclosed that the National Assembly recently approved N1 billion for procurement of books and handbooks as part of the commission’s school support programme.
“We have supplied fertilisers to all the 1,800 communities of the commission at 60 per cent subsidised rate.
“The farmers are happy and we hope to sustain that. We also conducted medical outreach programme where over 75,000 patients were attended to,” he said.
Yelwa explained that the 5-day training was meant to improve the performance of the staff, remind them of basic objectives of their employment and guide them in key factors to take into consideration in application of resources for delivery of projects and programmes.
According to him, the 300 staff were trained in three selected centres in Kebbi, Plateau and Kwara states, grouped on basic needs of their performance. (NAN)
