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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.”
