Akwa Ibom Leaders’ Caucus moves against proposed location of a nuclear power plant in the state, citing environmental considerations, Special Correspondent, EMMA AYUNGBE, reports.
Ordinarily, the federal government’s proposal to site any project in any part of the country would call for celebration. But that is not the case with the proposed siting of a nuclear power plant in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
When the news of the proposed project was disclosed by the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC)’s Chief Executive Officer, Franklin Osaisai, residents and indigenes of the state expressed displeasure at the project, stressing that it was not the kind of largesse they had expected from the government. In fact, opinion leaders in the state under the auspices of Akwa Ibom Leaders Caucus, led the march in crying out against the project, which they described as a Greek Gift.
At a session with newsmen in Uyo, the elders recalled that the visible direct federal government projects in Akwa Ibom in the last 40 years were the Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company (NNMC) in Oku Iboku and the Aluminum Smelters Plant in Ikot Abasi, that have incidentally been in sorry state.
The caucus leaders, who spoke on behalf of the state, were Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd.), Senators Anietie Okon, Emmanuel Ibok and Effiong Bob.
Others were Nduese Essien, Larry Esin, Offiong Akpabio, Dr. Esio Udoh and Dr. Augustine Usoro.
They had argued that after a thorough analysis of merits and demerits of the project, especially relying on informed opinions of experts on nuclear technology and related disciplines, they had no option than to stand against the project they claimed is not welcome in other states.
They acknowledged the benefits of the project, but lamented Nigeria’s peculiar experience in our country and the disastrous consequences that failure of nuclear plants has brought to even more advanced countries.
Recalling that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had warned that Nigeria has no competence to handle nuclear issues, they alleged also that Nigerians have a lot of questions to answer when it comes to technical impact assessment at the international level, stressing that it was a clear indication that a nuclear plant is not suitable for Nigeria for now.
“Nigeria is endowed with easily processed and manipulated energy sources, we have large bodies of tumbling waters, crude oil and gas and ample sunshine which can aid hydro, thermal and solar energy generation in large volumes.
“If we claim to have the right orientation, which we don’t have, (we should bear in mind that) it is an established fact that nuclear plants require due consideration and dynamic expertise,” they stated.
Nuclear plants, they remarked, must be well-designed, constructed, operated and maintained, adding that Nigeria is not used to these tips and not given to environmental impact assessment (EIA) culture.
According to the leaders, the fear of Akwa Ibom citizens is that with the government’s poor attitude to environment issues, fears of the monumental damage in the event of a slightest false step in the nuclear project remain potent.
“Location of nuclear plant all over the world is done far away from human habitation. Most Japanese nuclear projects are located off shore.
“Akwa Ibom State is too small and compact to the extent that it is not qualified for such a project. There is no distance from the state capital, Uyo, that is beyond 50 kilometres.
“The state has a total land area of only 7,081km2 with an estimated population of about five million persons spread out to 706 persons per kilometre density which is one of the highest in the country. This is why the federal government should have a rethink,” they stressed.
According to them, the people are suffering from environmental hazards on account of activities of conventional extractive industries which are not even given adequate remedial attention, adding that their lot would be worsened by the nuclear plant initiative.
“Oil spillage, gas flaring and industrial wastes, with the attendant health hazards, acid rain and alteration of ecosystem have remained with us as far back as when activities of extractive and heavy industries have been with us,” the leaders lamented, they said adding nuclear fall-outs to the already precarious situation may amount to an affliction to many, given that it has not been possible for proper handling of industrial problems, conventional power sources and common natural disaster which have frequently occurred in the state.
Their fear also is that with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) experiencing immense difficulties in management of common flood and fire disasters, the agency would be ill-prepared to handle the challenges that may arise in the event of a nuclear plant project going awry.
“That is why we are saying, ‘don’t come and poison our land; don’t come and destroy our people’. We can do without nuclear power. We want federal government presence not federal government poison,” they chorused.
Analysts have, however, advised the Akwa Ibom Caucus Leaders to go beyond rejecting the project on mere suspicion or insinuation, to finding out the merits and demerits of its location in the state. They suggest to the leaders and indeed the state government to commission a team to tour countries with nuclear plants and find out how the projects have impacted on host communities in terms of environmental impact, employment generation and infrastructure uplift.
“This is the only way we can determine if the project is really a Greek gift or that which can be beneficial to the people. This should not be an issue of politicking, but that which requires thorough cost-benefit analysis before adopting any particular position,” an Uyo-based environmentalist, who pleaded anonymity, volunteered.
