Energy commission accuses Enugu of methanol project disruption

The Energy Commission of Nigeria has raised the alarm about the police arrest of its workers at the construction site of the multi-billion Naira “Renewed Hope” Bio-Methanol Pilot Plant located at Akure, in the Nkanu West Local Area of the state.

The commission, an agency under the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, while briefing journalists in Enugu on Sunday, said the arrest of construction workers happened on Friday, and police in Enugu State have refused to release them.

An official of the Commission, Mr E. Okeke, who briefed journalists, accused the state government of being behind the arrest, adding that work had stopped at the site.

Okeke stated that the police, following the alleged directives of the state governor, Peter Mbah, invaded the site and arrested seven construction workers.

The methanol plant, said to be worth more than N40 billion, is the first of its kind in West Africa and was personally brought by President Bola Tinubu for the people of the South East and sited in Nkanuland, which is the homeland of Governor Peter Mbah and Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology.

He said that the police stormed the site in the company of the council chairmen of Nkanu East and Nkanu West and arrested the workers.

Okeke gave the names of those arrested as Ambrose Edeh, Chibuike Edeh, Monday Nwodo, Obinna Samuel, Ebuka Chukwurah, Chibuike Okereke, and Maduabuchi Okoro.

He said, “The police officers also removed batteries of the earth-moving machines at the site, in order to stall the construction activities.

“The construction workers arrested were detained briefly at RRS Govt House Enugu and later moved to Anti Kidnapping section at Independence Layout, Enugu and around midnight moved to State CID.”

However, when higher federal government authorities were contacted, they made unsuccessful attempts to reach the officials of the Nigerian police at Enugu.

But when they contacted the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, he quickly swung into action and ordered the immediate release of the detainees.

Sources around the local government told journalists that Nkanu leaders were angry with the action of the state government for trying to frustrate federal government investment in their land.

The land where the project was located was properly donated to the federal government by the community for the project, according to leaders of the community, who displayed a document to that effect.

The N40 billion Naira bio methanol project, when operational, is expected to solve most of the industrial needs of Nigeria and Africa.

It is also one of the biggest projects in the entire South-East by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

One of the elders of the host community, Chief John Ogbodo, who spoke to journalists at the site, said that it was obvious action of the state government was politically motivated since the project was attracted by Chief Uche Nnaji, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State during the 2023 general elections.

The methanol project, in addition to a similar project, the N60 billion Solar PV project (for production of solar panels) also attracted to the area by the minister, has the combined capacity to provide employment to tens of thousands of Enugu state youths and change the economy of Enugu and the South East in general.

Some community elders alleged that it was obvious the state government was glittery and hence wanted to frustrate the projects because of the likely impact come 2027.

Efforts by our correspondent to speak with the Enugu State Police Command on the incident were unsuccessful as the command’s spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, did not take his calls or respond to a text seeking his comment.

Also, the executive chairman of Nkanu West LGA, John Ogbodo, who reportedly led the police to arrest the construction workers did not take his calls when contacted and had yet to respond to text messages seeking his comment.

Efforts to get a reaction from the senior special assistant to the governor on media, Mr Dan Nwaome, were unsuccessful as he did not take his calls.

At the time of filing this report, he was yet to respond to a text message seeking his comment.