…as Governor Sule vows to give agriculture topmost priority
A Chinese firm, Kenyang Mining Company, has committed to establishing a tantalite processing plant estimated to cost $250m in Udege, Nasarawa Local Government Area.
Governor Abdullahi Sule disclosed this during a reception organized in honour of the Chim Nku 1, HRH Habila Adamu Aboki marking his fifth year anniversary on the throne and golden jubilee in Akwanga on Sunday.
According to Governor Sule, Kenyang which has been mining and exporting raw tantalite from Udege since 2003, has resolved to establish a tantalite processing plant in the next 24 months that would cost the company $250m.
The Governor said the agreement was reached following his trip to China on the invitation of another Chinese firm, Lovol which sponsored the entire trip, without him expending a single kobo from the coffers of Nasarawa State throughout his one week stay in China.
“While in Shanghai, I had the opportunity to meet with the owners of a company called Kenyang. Kenyang is a company that since 2003 has been in Udege. I wanted to see all these materials they have been taking from Nasarawa Udege. For all these years, what have they been doing with it.
“They agreed to show me. They said today, they don’t use metal in producing covers for telephones. All these covers that you see are titanium and tantalite. The tantalite they are taking in Nasarawa State is the tantalite in Shanghai they are giving to the only manufacturer of this cover of telephones. I told them there and then that I can not leave Shanghai empty-handed after seeing what I have seen. I told them they have to do something,” he said.
He said after the management of the invited Chinese government officials, Kenyang promised to set up a tantalite processing plant in Udege within the next 24 months, with the company committed to paying degree holders a minimum of N500, 000 monthly as salary.
Governor Sule explained that the one-week trip to China was facilitated by Lovol, an industrial equipment manufacturing company primarily focusing on agricultural equipment, which has also committed to establishing its maintenance facility in Nasarawa State.
“All these trips, traveling by train, not sleeping, staying in the hotels, not Nasarawa State money. They said it is our responsibility that brought you here. We will pay everything one hundred percent for you,” he stated.
The Governor equally visited another company in Tontin known as Julian wort about $78bn, and the third largest lithium processing plant in China.
“I wanted to see where our raw materials, all these lithium that we are picking from here. Where are we taking it to? I needed to see the foundation. I went to a company called Julian, young people. I don’t think any of them was more than 50 years old. Having the third biggest lithium processing company in China. Their turnover, $78bn. This is what you get when there is merit, there is commitment, there is forward looking, there is vision and there is capacity to move things together,” he said.
While traveling across China, especially the Hunan Province, the Governor noticed that there were no available land that is not being utilized for agriculture, which is the major preoccupation of the people there.
“When I arrived in China, I visited the Hunan Province. Hunan Province used to be the poorest province of China. They don’t use states. They use province. It is the most populated with 100m people in one state. I asked them, I have not seen any free land. They said that is the point we are trying to make for you. I went there for agriculture.
“I told them that in Nigeria, part of our problems is that we have so many tribes. The guys said no. In the Hunan Province alone with one hundred million people, even though they speak Mandarin, which is the common language in China, they have other distinct tribes. But that as far as they are concerned, they are all Chinese. That is what made them great. They realized that they were poor, so they all went back to the farm. Throughout my trip, I did not see free land,” he added.
Following his trip to China, Governor Sule has renewed his commitment to give agriculture topmost priority, stressing that his administration would ensure that every available land is cultivated.
“They told me that Hunan is equivalent to Nasarawa. I told them no, we are not there yet. But by the grace of God, we will be. It was there that I made the statement that I would like to see no free land in Nasarawa State. That any cultivatable land we are able to cultivate it,” he said.
The Governor said that apart from the opportunities he has attracted from China, he has also learned from the Chinese the significance attached to talents and merit which combine to make the Chinese successful.
“This is what is happening in countries that are serious. They do not use any other sentiments apart from merit. Once you are merited, once you have the capacity, they give you the position that you deserve.
“Apart from the fact that we are coming back with opportunities, I also learned the attitudes that we all have to adopt. Let us unite for the development of our state. I will leave Nasarawa State better than I met it,” he stated.
He therefore, called on the people of the state to set aside politics, tribe and religion and to unite together in order to further develop Nasarawa State.
