Minister of State, Mines and Steel Development, Dr Uchechukwu Ogah, has said that the federal government would develop Ebonyi salt deposit to expand its commercial quantity.
He stated this Friday in Abakaliki during a courtesy call on Governor Dave Umahi, explaining that getting salt in large quantity in Ebonyi will boost Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the
government and also generate thousands of jobs for the country, describing Ebonyi as one of the forerunners in terms of solid mineral with great potentials and that government would benefit from it to diversify its economy.
He explained that the federal government has a project called Presidential Initiative on Development of Salts (PIDS) and that consultants have been brought into Ebonyi state to look at how salts can be developed, describing PIDS as the first in the history of the country driven by Governor Umahi which, according to him, confirms the love President Muhammadu Buhari has for the South East.
He said: “We are here to seek collaboration with the governor in terms of optimization of our revenue by working closely with the state government to see how we can increase the revenue of the federal government through royalty. Being one of the forerunners in terms of solid minerals, we believe that great potentials abound in this state, which we can benefit from.
“We have brought consultants to look at how they can develop the salt project, which is the first in the history of this country coming to South East and being driven by the Ebonyi state Governor. This shows that Mr. President loves the South East and the project is to ensure that Nigeria is producing salt in large quantities. So, we want to turn salt into a commercial quantity for the interest of Nigeria.”
Also speaking, Special Assistant to the Governor on Solid Minerals, Hon. Edwin Onwe, said he has taken the minister to all the mineral sites in the state and expressed hope that in no distant time, the aim of the Governor in developing salts in large quantity would be achieved.
“There is no place in Ebonyi state you will not see salts and other minerals but we took the Minister to that of Uburu and Okposi and subsequently, will be taking him to other places,” he said.
