The Federal Government has revisited the Ikere Gorge Dam(an earth-fill dam with reservoir capacity of 690 million m3) in Iseyin, Iseyin Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The Dam was said to have been initiated by the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo and started in 1983 by the administration of Sheu Shagari.
It has been abandoned long time ago until recently when the federal government approved the concessions of 6MW Ikere Gorge Dam in Iseyin, Oyo State.
The approval was contained in a statement issued recently in Abuja by Hakeem Bello, The Special Adviser on communications to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola who revealed that the 6MW dam was part of the 5 Hydro Dams to improve electricity supply to Rural/Agrarian communities.
Fashola said principal among the approvals received from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on memos presented by him was Ikere Gorge Dam, adding that the dam is a major earth-fill dam in Iseyin local government area of Oyo State on the Ogun River which has the reservoir capacity of 690 million m3.
He said it has been in a moribund for over 37 years as it was initiated by the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo, started in 1983 by the administration of Sheu Shagari but later abandoned by the previous administrations at the center.
Minister announced the federal government’s readiness to revisit the abandoned project, adding that its completion would be a best shot to reduce over dependence on gas for power generation in the country and it would also help to stabilize power generation and supply in the entire South West Geo-political Zone.
While appreciating the government, Raji Babatunde, an indigene of Iseyin appreciated the federal government for considered it noteworthy to approve the concession of 6MW Ikere Gorge Dam in the community, saying all members of the community are happy for hearing such news of development and progress.
While speaking on behalf of Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Abdul-Ganny Ologunebi, Prince Semiu Azeez said it was a welcome development that federal government would revisit the project that has been abandoned for over 37 years.
He said its completion would no doubt call for government’s attention in the community and environs, address the problem of unemployment and at large put permanent solution to epilepsy supply of electricity in South West as a whole.
