Olaide Oyelude, Katsina There is tension in the Sabuwar Unguwar Kofar Kaura community in Katsina town where residents are opposed to the erection of a telecoms mast in the area. The erection of the mast, according to the residents, began last month shortly after a bungalow in the community was demolished. The residents told Northern […]
Olaide Oyelude, Katsina
There is tension in the Sabuwar Unguwar Kofar Kaura community in Katsina town where residents are opposed to the erection of a telecoms mast in the area.
The erection of the mast, according to the residents, began last month shortly after a bungalow in the community was demolished.
The residents told Northern City News that when they noticed that a GSM mast was being built on the site formerly occupied by the demolished building, they alerted appropriate authorities in the state on the need to halt the construction on account of its health implications to the residents.
A letter, it was learnt, was written by the residents to the state office of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, alerting the agency about the health implications of having a GSM mast in the congested community.
The letter, dated February 4, 2017 and signed by Mallam Nuraddeen Sani on behalf of the community, noted that the community faced the risk of infrared and radio frequency radiation.
“This therefore implies that residents living near the mast are at the risk of these waves which might have adverse effect on the peoples’ health after a long period of time,” it averred.
The residents also wrote a similar letter to the Katsina office of the Public Complaint Commissioner where they called for the stoppage of the mast erection.
Investigation however showed that the contractor handling the project secured approval from the Katsina State Urban Planning and Development Authority as attested to by an Escrow Account Receipt indicating that the contractor paid N6,030 on February 24 to the authority.
In the same vein, the Katsina State Urban and Regional Planning Board gave a provisional approval for the erection of the mast.
A letter of approval by the URPB dated March 13 and signed by one Umar Dankawu on behalf of the General Manager read, “I am directed to inform you that the Katsina State Urban and Regional Planning Board hereby conveys to you provisional approval to develop cell sites.”
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