A former Minister of Defence, Lieutenant General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) has said the concession of the federal government’s Kashimbila Hydro Electricity Dam to his firm is good news worth sharing with fellow Nigerians.
Speaking at Kashimbilla in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State during the formal concession of the dam to his company, General Danjuma, a former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and top flight businessman, said the “journey has just begun” towards providing electricity to the entire Taraba State.
He regretted that despite the construction of the Kashimbilla Dam, electricity remained a mirage for the intended immediate beneficiaries of the project.
In a statement by the Spokesperson to the Taraba State Governor, Emmanuel Bello, General Danjuma said the optimism expressed by some people for constant electricity was a bit unrealistic as the power generated by the dam is “too strong” for the weak installations in Takum and its environs.
The former Defence Minister said cables used in most homes were weak to the extent of bursting into flames when the power is released.
He stressed that for electricity to be fully realised, the State needed to be “rewired all over” for the full optimisation of the dam.
Danjuma described the concession of the dam as a long-term project that would take a long time to realise its use.
He assured that work had immediately begun on the electrification of the entire area of catchment.
The statement said the Kashimbilla Dam, a Federal Government project, would henceforth be run by a consortium led by the former Minister of Defence.
The dam is equipped with an ultra-modern airport that will also be concessioned soon, and a five-star hotel, to make the area a veritable tourism hub.
