Reactions As Firm Announces Plan To Site Bitumen Plant Outside Ondo

By Ayodele Oni

Reactions have been trailing proposed plan by a firm to invest on the vast bitumen deposit in Ondo state.

The management of Owena Bitumen Exploration Nigeria Limited led by Musa Ibrahim Mantu, had on Thursday visited Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa during which it promised to invest a billion dollars on the exploration of the mineral deposits.

Musa Ibrahim Mantu, the chairman of the company, during the visit, assured  residents of more investments coming into the State.

The team, which included expatriates from Italy and France, represents the company globally and specializes in mining, refining, and processing of bitumen and other allied resources.

Mantu, explained that the primary goal was to explore bitumen in Ondo State, with a processing plant already under construction in Ijebu Ode, projected to be the largest in the world.

Responding, the governor said that his Administration is open to offering incentives to attract both local and foreign investments into the economy of the state to drive development.

According to him, with the many natural and mineral resources in the state and plans of the government to develop a deep sea port and enhance infrastructure, the state is wide open for investors to do business.

However, reacting to the company’s proposal in a WhatsApp post, an indigene of Ikale, host community of the bitumen deposit alleged that the company might be out to rip off Ondo state government.

Olujimi Adekanle wrote that “my attention was drawn into a visitation to the Executive Governor of Ondo HE Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa where a company named Owena Bitumen Exploration led by one Alhaji Musa Ibrahim Mantu where he said he brought some foreign investors from Italy and France.

“He claimed that they are investing one billion dollars into the Exploration of our Bitumen in Ikaleland.

“But what really caught my attention was their claiming of the establishment of their Bitumen processing plant in far away Ijebu Ode in Ogun State.

“You are exploring our Bitumen in Ikaleland in Ondo State and you were planning of building the processing plant in another state, in the first place Bitumen is a very heavy mineral that needs a rail transportation from the site to a processing plant.

“The said company went and met Mr Governor and thought they have sealed a deal without visiting the inhabitants of the area concerned that will be displaced from their ancestral habitat when Exploration is to commence.

“Also a serious company or organization that really knows about Bitumen Exploration should know that their first assignment is to hold meetings with the custodian of this black gold and the establishment of a processing plant must be situated on Ikale soil.

“Moreover no company will explore our black gold without the echelon of an Ikale blood. To me the said Owena Bitumen Company just came on a white elephant project visitation to Mr Governor, they are simply scammers that wanted to use our Bitumen to dupe the unsuspected investors.

“Enough of all these drama that started in 1999 when Obasanjo came to Ikaleland to campaign and deceived we the ikales of Exploration of our Bitumen.

“Mimiko came used the Bitumen as a campaign tool. Just not too long ago the late Rotimi Akeredolu claimed they are already exploring our Bitumen to deceive our people, just only few of us cried out shouting that it was a scam.”