Igboland has largest gas deposit in Africa – Iwuanyanwu
Mauren Aguta
President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has disclosed that the Igbo nation has the largest gas deposit in Africa in addition to limestone and other precious minerals in the region.
Iwuanyanwu made the disclosure when he received the national leadership of Greater Igbo Forum led by its founder Dr. Obinna Chikelu and President, Lois Jonathan at his residence in Abuja.
He said Igbo nation has the capacity to become an industrial powerhouse and stated that when he assumed office as the President General of Ohaneze Ndi-Igbo, he constituted a committee that came out with a report on the economic potentials of the Igbo nation and challenges.
He said, “As an engineer, I work with data so I had to set up a committee to give me facts on Agriculture, Education, Industries and Youth unemployment. When I got the report, I became very happy. Whenever I hear good news about Igbos, I feel very happy, the report was very good. The potentials in agriculture in Igboland is enormous. In the industrial potentials, we discovered that God has put a lot of wealth in our soil.
“We used to have a glass factory in Aba and we have special sand somewhere in Abia, very special sand and if you just put some chemicals, it becomes glass.
“We had a ceramics factory at Umuahia and we have the raw material at Okigwe but one of the biggest raw materials that we have is limestone for cement and for many years to come, cement will continue to be a source of wealth because there is no substitute for building.
“We have large deposit of limestone in Abia, in Enugu and Ebonyi. Research told me that we have enough limestone for five cement factories. With five cement factories, we can supply cement to Africa and that is enough to earn us all the foreign exchange.
“We also have oil too in Imo, Abia, Delta, Rivers, Enugu and Anambra but the biggest wealth we have from the report I got is gas. Igboland is sitting on the biggest reserve of gas in Africa and gas has a big potential”.
Speaking earlier, Dr. Chikelu, told the Ohaneze leader that the aim of the forum is to explore all the critical tentacles the Igbo tribe shares with other ethnic groups in terms of marriage and business relationships to form a common front that will lift the Igbo race from the marginalization it is experiencing from other ethnic nations in Nigeria.
Chief Iwuanyanwu responded that Greater Igbo Forum is a child of Ohaneze hence the need to take blessing from the President General of Ohaneze Worldwide.
He said, “What we are actually doing is to give opportunities to all our members. We accept members who are 50 per cent Igbo, 25 per cent Igbo and 15 per cent Igbo. If your mother or grand mother is Igbo, your father or your grandfather, once this blood is around your origin, you can attend our meeting; bring ideas that will brighten the image of an Igbo man”.
The president of Greater Igbo Forum Lois Jonathan, in her opening remarks, said that the capacity of Chief Iwuanyanwu to lead the Igbos is not in doubt. She said that Iwuanynwu has the capacity, experience and rich followership to chart a new course for the Igbo race.
Also adding his voice is Dr. Emmanuel Zwanbin, research team lead of the forum who has maternal origin in the Igbo land, said that he is excited to identify with the Igbos and that the gang up against the Igbo race needs to be addressed.