The Coalition of Shiroro Associations (COSA) has strongly opposed the recent appointment of Mrs. Tomi Somefun as the Managing Director of the National Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), citing a blatant violation of the commission’s Establishment Act.
In a press statement signed by the Secretary General, Salihu Saidu, COSA described the appointment as “legally and morally unacceptable,” insisting that Mrs. Somefun does not hail from any of the commission’s designated member states—Niger, Benue, Kwara, Kogi, Kebbi, Plateau, Kaduna, or Gombe.
According to the group, the N-HYPPADEC Act mandates that the Managing Director must be an indigene of one of the member states and that the position must rotate among them, with an additional stipulation that the Managing Director must not come from the same state as the Commission Chairman.
COSA, representing communities most affected by hydroelectric development, expressed deep concern that the federal government continues to sideline qualified indigenes of the region. “This appointment undermines the very essence of N-HYPPADEC, which was established to address the specific challenges of host communities impacted by hydroelectric projects,” the group said.
The coalition called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently reverse the appointment and ensure that a competent and qualified individual from within the commission’s catchment states is named in line with the Act.
Warning that the issue could influence future political decisions, COSA stated, “Failure to correct this will not be taken lightly. We will not hesitate to use this clear disregard for due process as a campaign issue should the President seek a second term.”
The group urged the federal government to act swiftly to safeguard the credibility of N-HYPPADEC and ensure justice for the long-suffering communities in the power-producing areas.
