NAN-H-118
Protest
Dutse, Dec. 14, 2016 (NAN) Chairman of Jigawa Manpower Development (MDI), Alhaji Idi Bukar on Wednesday appealed to some communities protesting the acquisition of their farmlands for the citing of sugar factory, to allow the establishment of the project.
Making the appeal in a statement issued in Dutse, the chairman said their communities and the state at large would gain a lot from the project, to be established by Lee Group, a Chinese Multinational Company.
“No responsible government will support any project that will jeopardize the prosperity and wellbeing of its people.
“The Multinational Chinese Company will construct a gigantic water channel to water its sugarcane farm in the area, and communities along the channel will be allowed to use the water for irrigation,” he said.
He stated that apart from the monetary compensation for the affected farmers, they would also be given alternative farmlands.
“All this, is in effort to make the affected farmers comfortable,” he added.
Bukar also reminded the communities that the company would provide employment for teeming youth in the state, thereby empowering the people financially.
“If we go by history, in 1971 when farmlands were being acquired for the construction of Tiga Dam and Kadawa Irrigation Scheme by Late Gov. Audu Bako of Kano state, the affected people protested.
“But today, their living standard has changed; I am therefore appealing to the protesting communities to withdraw the court case they instituted for the project to go ahead as planned,” he pleaded.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a Chinese company, Lee Group, is investing N39.2 billion to establish a sugar company in Kaugama Local Government Area of the state. (NAN)
MNB/ASH/ASH