“Huge” deposits of iron ore have been found in The Gambia. The discovery, which was revealed by President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, is in addition to the discovery of offshore oil deposits disclosed three years ago.
However, the president maintained that he would not reveal the specific location of the iron ore deposits until all the modalities have been finalised and tests carried on the quality.
The Gambian leader made the revelation in his office at State House, on Wednesday afternoon, after receiving a D4 million cheque from Salah Ezzeddine of the East Line Company, which operates in three Gulf States: the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The amount represents a royalty on the export of 10,000 metric tonnes of sand minerals from The Gambia, which was the consignment seized from Carnegie Minerals Gambia Limited. The company’s operational license had been revoked by the government after it was found to be involved in “illegal” operational activities.
At the meeting, President Jammeh was upbeat about the quality of The Gambia’s iron ore, saying: “Allah will provide the country with the best quality once the tests have been carried out, for the betterment of the country”.
He told the meeting that he will announce another “discovery”, as soon as the iron ore exportation begins, stressing the need for attitudinal change for rapid transformation of The Gambia.
Source: Daily Observer, Gambia
No comments:
Post a Comment