By Energy Worth
THE Federal Government, on Wednesday, disclosed moves to complete Farin Ruwa dam project in Nasarawa State including generation of 20 megawatts of electricity from it when completed. This was made known by the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Dr Musa Ibrahim, during a meeting with a delegation of Nasarawa State government in his office, led by the Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development, Orthm Akaaka.
According to Musa the project was conceptualized in 2001 with the intention of providing about 20 megawatts of power to Nasarawa State.
However, he said the project was stalled due to inadequate funding for its completion by previous administrations.
He said: “The Farin Ruwa dam in Nasarawa State project was conceptualized in 2001 with the intention of providing about 20 megawatts of power to Nasarawa State. However, this lofty project could not be completed due to paucity of funds. “But we want to assure you that the Federal Government is committed to ensure the project is completed in record time and also generate the proposed 20 megawatts of power that would add value to the socio-economic lives of the people in the state.
“The dam is part of listed projects of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources that has been captured in the 2018 Budget. So there is no cause for alarm as funds will be made available for the commencement and completion of the project for the benefit of the people in Nasarawa State.”
Meanwhile, he charged the technical teams of both the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and their counterpart from Nasarawa State Ministry of Water Resources and Rural Development to look critically at the project status in terms of completion and the possibility of incorporating other components like irrigation, water supply and hydro power generation to it before the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and takeover from Nasarawa State government.
In his earlier remarks, leader of the Nasarawa State government delegation and also representative of Governor, Tanko Al-Makura, Orthm Akaaka, revealed that the project reached 60 per cent completion as at 2007. Akaaka maintained that Govenor Al-makura had remained resolute to complete all ongoing and abandoned projects in the state including the Farin Ruwa dam as one of them, but would not be able to complete all, hence their coming to the Federal Government for intervention since the dam was a federal project, which he appealed for its completion.
“We are thankful to Federal Government for the proposed takeover and completion of this project. It is our concern that we give all the necessary cooperation needed for the completion of this laudable project”, he said.
