AKWA IBOM, JANUARY 31, 2018 – The people of Ikot Ebon community in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have rejected the establishment of the proposed 1,200mw nuclear plant by the Federal Government.
They said that the government had not officially informed them of the proposed project.
The Council’s Secretary, Mr. Okon Akpan, told newsmen on Monday in Uyo, that the community would not accept the project because it would do more harm to the people than good.
Akpan said: “What we are going to do is to come together as a community to oppose the idea because of its disastrous consequences which far outweigh its advantages.”
A youth leader in the community, Mr. William Kevin, wondered if the area would be relocated from their ancestral land before establishing the nuclear plant.
He said that investigation had shown that the plant should be established about 30 km away from people, adding that to set up and operate such plant require good maintenance capacity the country lacks.
Kelvin said: “When I heard it on national news, I went and did my findings from professionals at the University of Uyo of the dangers and benefits of the project. I found out that it will generate electricity and provide employment for the populace, but the problem is that Nigerians do not have maintenance culture.
“Again, the proposed plant will have to be 30km away from the community; does it mean that the whole area will be taken away for this project? We are having a government that does not listen to the people, the next thing they will say is that, they have brought development to the community and we rejected it.
“Fine, it is a development, but it is not all development that we should welcome because we lack maintenance culture, “he said.
Last year, Russia and Nigeria signed an agreement on THE construction and operation of a nuclear power plant as well as a multipurpose nuclear research centre in Nigeria.
