The Energy Commission of Nigeria has expressed outrage over the arrest of its workers by police at the construction site of the multi-billion-naira Renewed Hope Bio-Methanol Pilot Plant in Nkanu West Local Government Area, Enugu State.
The commission, an agency under the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, alleged that the arrests, which occurred on Friday, were orchestrated by the Enugu State Government.
According to the commission, the detained workers have not yet been released, and construction activities at the site have been halted.
An official of the commission, Mr. E. Okeke, told journalists in Enugu that seven construction workers were arrested during the operation.
He identified them as Ambrose Edeh, Chibuike Edeh, Monday Nwodo, Obinna Samuel, Ebuka Chukwurah, Chibuike Okereke, and Maduabuchi Okoro.
Okeke reported that police officers, accompanied by the chairmen of Nkanu East and Nkanu West Local Government Areas, also removed batteries from earth-moving machines at the site to disrupt construction.
“The workers were initially detained at the RRS Government House in Enugu, then moved to the anti-kidnapping section at Independence Layout. Around midnight, they were transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department,” Okeke said.
The methanol plant is said to be valued at over N40bn. Alongside the proposed N60bn Solar PV project for solar panel production, both projects are expected to generate significant employment opportunities for Enugu youths.
Community leaders in Nkanuland, which is also the homeland of Governor Peter Mbah and the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, expressed anger over the incident.
They claimed the land for the project was properly donated to the Federal Government.
Chief John Ogbodo, a community elder, described the arrests as politically motivated, alleging that the state government was attempting to disrupt the project.
Efforts to get comments from key Enugu government officials proved unsuccessful.
Calls and messages to the spokesman for the Enugu State Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, went unanswered.
Similarly, the Chairman of Nkanu West Local Government Area, John Ogbodo, who reportedly led the police operation, did not respond to inquiries.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Dan Nwaome, was also unreachable as of the time of filing this report.