Delta Council Mineral Deposit Able To Feed Nigeria, Says LG Chairman
The chairman of Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, Hon. Chuks Oseme has said the large deposit of mineral resources in the council is capable of feeding the nation for decades aside crude oil which has already falling drastically in the international market.
The council boss made the assertion during the visit of the Nigerian Armed Forces Command and Staff College Senior Course 38 from jaji to Kaolin Site at Ukwu-nzu located in Aniocha North.
Oseme who noted that the council area has a lot of untapped resources, called on the federal and state governments not only to keep studying these mineral resources in a theoretical work but also to ensure that these resources are being tapped for the benefit of the economy which he said is presently dwindling considering the fall in oil price.
“We have the mineral deposit in large quantity in our council area, please after studying this mineral deposit, I urge you not to end it in theoretical frame work but implement the report for the betterment of our economy” he stressed.
The chairman commended the military in protecting the territory and the fighting of Boko Haram, applauding the military for their effort beyond protecting the country but proffering solution in diversifying the country’s economy.
Earlier, Leader of the delegation, Real Admiral SAJ Abba explained that they were in state, to see the possibility of diversifying the economy.
He noted that Nigeria as a country became very lazy because of oil boom, stressing that now oil has crashed, there was need for the nation to reposition the non-oil sector that had been abandoned
“We have a lot of mineral resources in this country but we decided to face only oil thereby abandoning other source of revenue.
In a remark, the Obi of Ukwu-uzu ,Obi Christopher Ogoh I, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to explore the riche mineral resources at the community towards achieving the nation's quest for the diversification of the economy.
While recalling the effort of different agencies that had carried out investigations and findings of large quantity of the solid mineral in the community from 1975 to 2015, he said the presence of kaolin in Ukwu-Nzu was truism and not a mere story.
Obi Christopher said that Ukwu-Nzu has enough quantity of clay that can sustain industries, adding trenches were sunk at various locations.
He urged the government to be apt in its resolve to diversify the economy through solid mineral exploration and development, “the quantity in Ukwu-Nzu can sustain industries for many decades”, he added.