Against the backdrop of speculations that plans have been completed for the development of a nuclear power plant in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, members of the 7th Assembly have unanimously rejected the project, citing irregularities and technical impact assessment as key concerns.
The position was made known through a motion by the member representing Itu State Constituency; Hon. Kufreabasi Edidem during Tuesday’s plenary.
Presenting the motion, the lawmaker drew the attention of members to a motion earlier put forward by member representing Onna State Constituency, Rt. Hon. Otuekong Nse Essien, during the 6th Assembly, which had rejected a proposal by the National Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) to build a nuclear plant in the same location in 2015.
He noted that, despite the outright rejection of the earlier proposal, the Energy Commission is still bent on patching the project through, despite safety concerns expressed by relevant stakeholders.
He maintained that opposing the location of the plant in Oku Iboku, Itu Local Government is not borne out of ignorance of its prospects, but due to the disastrous consequences occasioned by failure of such project across the globe, citing the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 as a case study.
According to the lawmaker, “the proposed plant does not conform to International standards guiding establishment of such project, noting that the state is blessed with large reserve of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) will be better off with alternative energy sources like solar and hydropower systems”.
Edidem noted that “the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had in 2015 posited that Nigeria lacks the technical and managerial competence to handle nuclear plants. He argued that the State and the Country does not boast of Nuclear experts who can manage emission of radioactive substances which could spill into the ecosystem and food chain”.
The lawmaker also expressed concerns that radioactive waste from the plant could be enriched to serve as raw materials for the production of nuclear explosives which could pose grave danger to the already declining security situation in the country.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), while carrying out its Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) Mission in Nigeria observed that Nigeria lacked: The grid capacity and quantity; Expertise for adequate licensing and reactor design; Policies for effective nuclear waste management and decommissioning; Insurance arrangement for third party damage and adequate manpower in the area of nuclear science and engineering. There is also a reported gap in involvement with International non-proliferation measures.
“Findings also revealed that the National Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) contracted Rosatum, a Russian company to build the nuclear power plant on a Build Operate and Own (B.O.O.) basis; which clearly shows that the plant is a private business concern of the Russians”, he added.
The lawmakers deliberated extensively, before unanimously adopting the motion, which prayed ‘that no part of Akwa Ibom land should be released for the purpose of building a nuclear plant’.
Contributor: Promise Etim
