Since its creation August 27 1991, Taraba State had languished in the black and brackish back water of the Nigerian state. This is both factual and metaphorical. Located near the Cameroon highlands, the state seems more Cameroonian than Nigerian. Those of us from the state’s south find it easier to get the signals of Radio Cameroon than Radio Nigeria, Kaduna. National election returns from Taraba are always among the last to come in. Economic development is still on ground zero. However, this Dark Age picture of the state is about to change to brighter days ahead. Or so, it seems.
Oct. 5 was the day the sun shone brightest in Taraba, bringing with it the first concrete prospects of true growth and prosperity. It was the day the federal government handed over its newly built hydro power facility on a tributary of the Benue River at Kashimbila in Takum local government to KP Hydro Limited under a concession arrangement. KP is owned by Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, a decorated army general and one time defence minister, who is an indigene of Takum. On the day of the handing over, Mr. Zaccheaus Akinjogbin, the director of public/ private sector partnership in the federal ministry of water resources and sanitation, said the concession awarded to KP Hydro Ltd in 2021, followed “due process”, meaning the company deserved it, not because the owner is a “big man”. He said the dam was constructed to remove the risk of flooding following the collapse of Lake Nyos in neighbouring Cameroon. Besides, it would generate 40 megawatts of electricity. He didn’t mention the dam’s agro potential including a flourishing fish business in the communities nearby. On one of my rare visits to my village a year ago, I ate a sumptuous pepper soup made with fish brought from the dam. Our women have found something to do during the dry season that would fetch them good money.
On his own part, Gen. Danjuma thanked the federal government for investing in the facility. He said the concession he got to manage it was not given on a platter but that he “fought for it doggedly”. He complained about the power distribution lines, which, according to him, were “substandard” and needed replacement. He feared the lines would explode when “energy (power) is released from the dam.” Taraba governor Dr. Agbu Kefas said the ceremony “is not just about the transfer of ownership but a significant milestone in the journey towards sustainable energy and economic prosperity. A reliable power supply is essential for everything from the daily life of the citizens to the growth of industries and businesses. With the development, the state can power schools, hospitals, factories and homes.” He asked the new owner to “preserve the critical asset”. As if to say he meant business, TY has expanded the old airfield built by now departed Christian missionaries and constructed a five star hotel at the site of the dam. The aim is to ease access to the facility and provide accommodation for workers and tourists.
However, the excitement and joy that suffused the ceremony belied a critical factor in the state government’s plans to transit to what its commissioner of economic development, Mrs. Naomi Agbu, calls “energy independence”. It is insecurity. As it is, the state’s southern part is a burning furnace of communal and ethnic violence. The conflict between crop farmers and Fulani herders has raged for many years and sacked several communities. It has left mass hunger and death in its wake. Ethnic conflict that pitches Chamba against Kuteb, Chamba against Tiv and Tiv against Kuteb has left Takum a complete wretch. Even as the Kashimbila ceremony was going on, villagers were emerging from their hideouts in the bushes to watch. As they did so, they also were looking over their shoulders to ensure the “enemy” wasn’t sneaking up on them. Therefore, keeping the facility safe also means keeping the warring communities peaceful. This is easier said than done.
