We Are Salt Of The Nation But Don’t Know How Much Revenue Is Generated—Ebonyi Gov

The Governor of Ebonyi Francis Nwifuru, has said that his government is not aware of the revenue that accrues from salt mining in his state. The governor said the Federal Government should be held accountable for the proceeds.

Nwifuru shared his thoughts on Thursday on Arise TV.

Reports on the National Multidimensional Poverty Index released by the National Bureau of Statistics ranks Ebonyi state among the poorest.

“Ebonyi is the salt of the nation and you ask us how much we are making. Its under the Federal Government and it is only the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel that can tell us how much they are making from the salt.

“You will know as a governor, I know what is going on but I don’t know the details because I don’t issue certificates. They are not answerable to me. They are answerable to the Federal Ministry of Mining. Even royalties are being paid to the Federal Ministry of Mining.

“What the state gets is from community development. If you look at the Mining Act of 2007 very well, you will find out that the state is not recognised. What is recognised are the communities. That is what we are even agitating that states should be given more opportunities to discuss the Mining Act.”

Ebonyi ranks among the states with the highest salt deposits in the country.

Experts have decried the soaring rate of Nigeria’s salt import amid huge deposits in Ebonyi, Benue, Cross River, Abia, Taraba and Nasarawa states.

In 2022, the NBS released a report that Nigeria spent at least N155bn on the importation of salt and other locally available products from Asia and South America