Kashimbila Dam: Mr. Fashola, Minister Of Power,Works, and Housing Inspects Project

Minister of Power, Works, and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, Thursday visited the Kashimbila Multipurpose Dam Project in Taraba State assuring that when completed, the Dam would serve the multiple purpose of protecting parts of the country from a predicted ecological disaster, provide electricity and support agricultural ventures in surrounding States of the Northeast.

Fielding questions from NTA newsmen after the inspection, Fashola, who said the project was conceived about 2007, pointed out that the purpose was a proactive step by Nigeria to prevent an ecological disaster that Science predicted would happen in future when the structurally weak volcanic Lake Nyos inevitably collapses, which would likely affect six states in the country.

The Minister, who named the states to include Taraba, Benue, Cross River, Delta and Kogi on the route of the tributaries of the Katsina-Ala River, added that the project was also conceived to provide electricity and support agricultural ventures in the surrounding communities.

He told the newsmen, “Nigeria has decided since 2007 or thereabouts to intervene and prevent the disaster by building a dam and from the dam you have water which is a force of energy, we decided to build a 40 MW plant to generate electricity to feed communities like Doga, Wukari, Takum, Kashimbila and many other communities in the Northeast and Yandev in Benue State who are not yet connected to the Grid”.

According to him, what the communities have presently is a 33KV line that transmits energy across 80, 90 to 100 and above kilometers adding that by the time the energy ultimately gets to the communities, it is not effective resulting in what is often referred to as “low current.”

Assuring that the project would solve all of the problems, Fashola, however, regretted that the contracting firm has not been paid for about two or three years adding that the project had just been put into the budget. He added, “We have approved payment for the contractor and I have now come to see what we are paying for to ensure that the project is delivered”.

“This project has three phases and three objectives to accomplish. First to prevent an ecological disaster that science predicts will happen and secondly from there provide electricity and support agriculture. This is the Kashimbila 40MW Multipurpose Dam for electricity and irrigation. But as I’ve said it was an ecological necessity”, the Minister said.

Emphasizing the benefits of the project to agricultural ventures in the host state and beyond, Fashola, who described Kashimbila  as one of the most beautiful parts of  Nigeria, added, “I have just come from Ecuador which is about 2,800 meters above sea level. I think this is about 500 to 800 meters in altitude. What you have here are mountains, rivers, and a very rich resource agro-base”.

The Minister, particularly, noted that the water supply embedded in the Dam could also be distributed far beyond the host community, Tagun, adding that government had opened discussions with the contractors on how the water catchment could be expanded beyond Tagun to serve most of Taraba and parts of the Northeast.

Top Taraba Monarch Dies At 80, After 50 years On Throne,

The traditional ruler of Gashaka Chiefdom in Taraba State, HammanGabdo Sambo, has died at the age of 80.

A source confirmed the death to premium times on Sunday morning.

The source disclosed that Mr. Sambo, the Lamdo Gashaka, died in an Abuja hospital late on Saturday after battling an undisclosed illness.

“The remains of his royal highness would be brought from Abuja to Taraba later in the day for burial rites.” the source said.

Mr. Sambo had on December 19, 2015 celebrated his 50th anniversary on the throne as the Lamdo Gashaka.

He was born in 1936 and was crowned the Gashaka ruler in 1965.

APC Taraba: No ill Feelings Towards PDP

The Taraba State chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Hassan Jika Ardo has said the APC in the state has no personal grudges against the People’s Democratic Party in the state.


Ardo, who stated this yesterday in Jalingo while briefing journalists in his office said the recent call by state chapter of the All Progressive congress demanding for governor Ishaku’s resignation was made to make certain records straight.

He noted that Ishaku during his electioneering campaign made numerous promises and was yet to fulfil one.

“Imagine, the governor told Tarabans during his campaign that he was the one who drew the Mambilla hydro power project. The project started in the 1960 when Ishaku was still in primary school at Wusasa in Zaria” he said.

He explained that the money for the completion of the Mambilla Hydro power project was paid to the governor during president Goodluck Jonathan’s era when he was the minister of state for power, adding that Tarabans and indeed Nigerians are eager to know of how the fund was

“It doesn’t end at that,Ishaku when he assumed office wrote President Buhari requesting for a bailout of 30 billion to pay outstanding salaries of workers in Taraba State, out of which the federal government released 9.4b, within the same period, allocation of 3.5 billion was released and a loan of 10 billion was collected by the governor to be paid in twenty years of which the whole total sum is 22.9 billion he collected within one month without accounting for” he stressed.

Reacting, the chief press secretary to the governor, Alhaji Hassan Miginyawa said it is a fact the governor Ishaku played tremendous role in bringing the Mambilla Project this far, adding that history has acknowledged that so it is, an exercise in futility for someone to seek to distract the government that is rightly performing credibly well.

Igbo Group Offers Scholarships To 100 Orphans In Taraba

The Taraba State branch of the Igbo Welfare Association has awarded scholarships to 100 orphans studying in various secondary schools in the state.

The President-General of the association, Mazi Nwokeocha, made the announcement in Jalingo on Tuesday while disbursing money to beneficiaries.

Nwokeocha said the 100 beneficiaries were children of the association’s dead members.
The president-general said that each beneficiary received N15,000 as assistance to continue his/her education.

Nwokeocha said the gesture was initiated by the association in 2007 to give families of dead members a sense of belonging.

He advised Igbos residing in the state to live in peace with their host communities and to continue to be good ambassadors of the Igbo race.

One of the beneficiaries, Johnson Emeka, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, commended the association for the gesture.

Emeka promised that the beneficiaries would justify the gesture by being hard working.