By Muhammad Lawal
Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq-Yelwa, Managing Director, Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPADEC), says the commission is established to bring succour to communities residing around the River Niger.
He made the disclosure in an interview with Journalists on the sideline of All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship campaign rally at Warra, Ngaski Local Government Area of Kebbi on Sunday.
Sadiq-Yelwa said: “The essence of establishing HYPADEC is to bring succour to those people residing around River Niger who are affected by the construction of dams generating electricity to Nigeria.
“As a commission, we are doing our best but to me the projects we embarked upon is not enough considering the negative effects caused by the dam construction, so, this is just the beginning and we will continue with it by the grace of Almighty God.
“I am happy President Muhammadu Buhari has given us all the necessary backing and encouragement to carry out vital projects that will transform the lives of people living around these areas.”
Sadiq-Yelwa listed some of the constraints faced by the residents to include; scarcity of portable water and incessant floods that usually destroy houses and ravage farmlands, hence the need for drainage construction to mitigate the menace.
The MD assured that the commission would not relent until it achieves the mandate for which it was established.
“We are grateful that both the governor and the benefitting communities are appreciative of what we are doing to bring succour to them, actually this is an encouragement to us.
“We will continue to discharge our responsibilities untill the mandate for which the commission is established is achieved,” he said.
While advising the electorate in Kebbi to take advantage of extension of PVC collection by INEC, Sadiq-Yelwa noted with satisfaction that the rate of collection across the state was commendable, especially in Kebbi South Senatorial District.
“We will continue to appeal to our people to come out en-mass to collect their PVCs, of course the level at which our people are coming out to collect their cards in Kebbi State is quite commendable, especially our zone, Kebbi South Senatorial District.
“We the people of this zone are among the most enlightened people who know the need to collect PVCs and its importance towards exercising our franchise.
“We have a responsibility to our constituents, we have a responsibility to ourself and we can only invoke that responsibility when we collect our PVCs.
”We will come out en-mass on election day to cast our votes for all APC candidates because they are the best candidates fielded for elections,” he said. (NAN)