Hope has risen for the exploration of the massive deposits of bitumen located in Agbabu in Odigbo
local government as the Ondo State government has been given approval for a bitumen bloc.
The vast bitumen deposits, reputed to be the second largest in the world next only to that of Venezuela had a history of neglect and failed promises from successive administrations in the past.
Governor Olusegun Mimiko who made this disclosure in Agbabu while addressing supporters during his re-election campaign said that the State was already working with technical partners and the Federal Government to commence exploration adding that it had applied for revalidation of certificate for the bitumen exploration.
Governor Mimiko who addressed his supporters at the ancient town where he commissioned several projects including a Town hall assured that with the exploration of the resources seeping out of their land, the community would become a cynosure of all eyes and be a major contributor to the national resources.
Mimiko who also disclosed that the state had established relationship with countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, which had developed their bitumen deposit to commercial level, stated that if re-elected, his administration would make the natural resources commercially viable in due course.
We are talking. But that of Trinidad and Tobago, they are not only exporting their equipment, even through open cast mining, but they also palletize them for export, he said.
We have not been idle with these vast bitumen deposits in our State and we have been are talking to investors. But as you are well aware, the problem about bitumen is that the investment profile is very high and the return may not be as high as gas and oil however, with the rate of high consumption of energy in the world, we know that
invariably tar sand would be very valuable.
The Governor equally used the occasion to berate some opposition parties for using the bitumen projects as a means of cajoling the people saying that exploration of bitumen was not only capital intensive but equally on the exclusive list of the federal government
which must give approval before exploitations could commence, coupled with a host of other reasons which they would attempt to gloss over in their desperation to hoodwink the people and make us look as if we are not doing anything.
“Let them come and tell the world what they can do, what are their antecedents, their pedigree, their aspirations and what they have done for the people of Ondo State that makes them want to contest as governor.
“We know some of them just who woke up from sleep and said they saw siren blaring in front of them in their, they decided to contest for election. They are greenhorns, aliens and do not belong to us in Ondo State,” Mimiko said.
Also, ten thousand (10,000) GSM Mobile phones were distributed free of charge to pregnant women in Odigbo local government to facilitate the free health services for the women under the State Abiye programme. Dr. Mimiko who flagged off the distribution of these mobile phones also gave out one hundred and ninety (190) laptop computers to Health Rangers officials to monitor the expectant mothers in the local government. He equally commissioned fifty tricycles for the use of Health Rangers to facilitate their movement for safe deliveries in the remote areas.