President Muhammadu Buhari
The apex socio-political body of the Igbo, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has
expressed disappointment over the Federal Government’s inability to
revive coal production in Enugu, according to Punch.
It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had, while
campaigning before the 2015 elections, promised to revamp the moribund
coal industry, which had been abandoned for several years.
Buhari had promised that the abundant coal deposits in Enugu would
be harnessed to grow the Nigerian economy, and also generate employment
opportunities for youths in the South-East and other parts of the
country.
The then All Progressives Congress presidential candidate had also
assured the people that the coal deposits would be used to revamp the
Oji River Power Station, which generated electricity for the defunct
Eastern Region.
However, about three years after Buhari won the election and
assumed office as the President, the Enugu coal mines have remained
moribund.
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mr
Chuks Ibegbu, on Sunday said the Federal Government’s failure to revive
coal production in Enugu was disappointing.
Speaking with our correspondent in Enugu, the Ohanaeze spokesman
said coal deposits in Enugu could transform Nigeria’s economy if the
Federal Government decided to develop the sector.
“We are very much disappointed that the Buhari-led Federal
Government has not been able to fulfil the promise to revive the coal
industry in Enugu.
“It is very unfortunate that the coal mines seem to have been forgotten.
“But we will continue to remind the Federal Government of the
urgent need to revamp the coal industry in Enugu, and in so doing, also
revive the Oji River Power Station,” Ibegbu said.
The Ohanaeze spokesman noted that the revival of the coal industry
would be to the benefit of the entire country, and not only the
South-East geopolitical zone.
“We all know that coal was driving the Nigerian economy before the discovery of oil in the Niger Delta region,” Ibegbu said.