Govt Will Soon Begin Bitumen Mining, Exploration – Gbenga Daniel

The senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly (NASS), Otunba Daniel, has disclosed that the federal government will soon commence mining and exploration of bitumen in Ogun State.

This is just as Daniel, a former governor of the state, passionately urged the incumbent governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, to actualise the Olokola Deep Sea Port project at Ode—Omi community in Ogun Waterside local government area, which his administration initiated between 2003 and 2011.

Daniel stated these while addressing a mammoth crowd of political stakeholders, supporters and constituents at Idokunnusi Ijebu Imushin in continuation of his Midterm Community Assessment and Review Tour in Ijebu East Local Government, where several members of his constituents were empowered with items which included motorcycles, deep freezers, sewing machines, fertilizers, sprayers, grinding machine among others to support their means of livelihood.

Harping on bitumen mining and exploration, Daniel explained that when started, the project, along with the Deep Sea Port, would increase the economic prosperity and positively impact the lives of the state’s people, particularly at a time when the people are agitating for the creation of the Ijebu State.

He said the project, if executed by the state government, has the potential to generate over 50,000 jobs, scale up the state’s Internally Generated Revenue base, and transform the socioeconomic life of the people.

The former governor maintained that the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development is ready to begin mining mineral resources soon.

He informed his constituents that the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, assured him that the bitumen wealth of Ijebu East will soon be put to productive use in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“During my time as governor of Ogun State, we discovered that Ogun East has the largest deposit of Bitumen anywhere in Nigeria. Our vision then was evident: to create a whole new city for Bitumen mining and exploration, which we believe would increase economic prosperity and positively impact the lives of the people in the area. We envisioned this area bubbling with multinational investments, industries, jobs, and infrastructure, all driven by bitumen exploration and processing.

“I am in contact with, and delighted to inform you that the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, under the exceptional leadership of my friend and brother, Mr Dele Alake, and in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has assured that the bitumen wealth of Ijebu East will soon be put to productive use. I have every confidence in that assurance because Dele Alake is not only a trusted colleague and friend of over four decades but a man of results”, Daniel stated.

The senator expressed belief that the federal government will fulfil its promise on the bitumen exploration in Ogun East, emphasising that the mining sector under President Tinubu has received greater attention, with the revenue from the solid minerals sector growing from ₦6 billion to ₦38 billion in just one year.