By Timawus Mathias
Guyuk and Lamurde are sleepy Local Government Headquarter towns in Southern Adamawa State. Sleepy because though both are lands literally flowing with milk and honey, with a strong virile educated population, the folks are yet laid back because the area’s potential lies untapped.
The land is richly endowed for all areas of agriculture, vast fertile soil, hills and valleys and flowing rivers.
Both enjoy the Benue and the Gongola Rivers with large bodies of water in streams lakes and ponds providing for year round cultivation of food, and cash crops in addition to livestock rearing and fishing.Recently, the communities woke up to something exciting, a development that could change their lives for good, for better – only if tremendous care is taken.
The development is coming against the backdrop of a communal conflict between the Longuda and the Waja, who inhabit the area – wanton violence spearheaded by criminal elements which Government needs to instantly nib in the bud by acting quickly to apprehend and deal with the criminal elements. And so, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri roared to wake the lands from sleep.
Both Guyuk and Lamurde lie comfortably within the Benue trough where as far back as the 1960s soon after independence, studies had shown that the land is sitting on huge bedrock of commercial industrial quantity and quality limestone, the basic requirement for cement.
Sadly since independence over 60 years ago, only casual attempts were made to tap this potential. As a matter of fact only lip service was given through glib and honey coated promises made to the people that never materialised.
Government after government for the past 60 years has been in Guyuk and Lamurde promising a cement industry and yet year in year out, generations lost the opportunity of actualization.Guyuk’s Limestone sits literally on the surface of the earth, just as Lamurde’s huge deposits of gypsum literally floats along the lengthy valley of the Benue River down the undulating hills of Lamurde Local Government.
A cement factory will change the entire profile of Adamawa State because of the impact of cement in infrastructure development. The primary beneficiary would be the catchment communities – the Bachama, the Tchobo, the Waja, and the Longuda, for whom employment of hundreds of thousands of particularly youth would instantly wipe away tears. Rural folks would earn a living from jobs even as industry skills are learnt. Until this is done, ironically, the communities war incessantly.
That is why the decision of the Adamawa State Government led by Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri on one hand, and the industry giant BUA for the exploitation of the potential in the region is a most welcome development.
BUA Cement has announced plans to build a 50 megawatts power plant and to exploit a 3 million metric tonnes cement plant located across in Lamurde and Guyuk Local Governments in Adamawa States, where the raw material is readily found.
BUA Cement, reputed to be Nigeria’s second-largest cement producer by volume with plants in Sokoto and Edo States, with the projects seeks to collaborate with the State Government not only to meet cement needs but also to boost the country’s power supply and increase the local production capacity for cement.
Adamawa State could instantly be self sustaining in stable power supply that would guarantee the operation of downstream medium and small scale industries.
This is therefore a great welcome development.Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri is rushing Chairman of BUA Cement, Abdulsamad Isiaka Rabiu, to actualise exciting briefs to industry watchers in both Yola and Lagos that well known preliminary findings ascertain that Guyuk and Lamurde areas had the required quality and quantity of limestone and gypsum whose combination through an industrial process, produces global quality cement.
Said Abdulsamad Isiaka Rabiu,“BUA will use new technologies to supply power to the proposed cement plant and communities of Guyuk and Lamurde in addition to providing three thousand direct and five thousand indirect jobs.”The key to this industry taking off is fundamentally the ability of Government and the investors to secure the cooperation of the inhabitants of the area, who must buy in, given the corporate social benefits that are bound to accrue. An atmosphere of welcome attracts investment capital of the type that will deliver the Lamurde-Guyuk cement.
There will be efficacious human index development entry points such as potable water, healthcare and educational facilities, and even housing, both private and corporate as a spin-off. Job opportunities would then literally and definitely cement a community buy-in.More for the Fintiri government than for BUA Group, actualizing the GUYUK and LAMURDE Cement project, is a coup de grace as the industry will most certainly bring meaningful and sustainable developmental benefits beyond just the engagement of communal labour.
It is a growing trend in international development. The only way to industrialize is through a cooperation with the organised private sector. Kaduna State’s Nasiru el Rufa’i Kaduna State government has partnered with Danish firm, Arla Foods International, to boost dairy production in the state.
The project is expected to create 50,000 jobs with an investment portfolio of €100million bringing great benefits to the people. The Dangote Group is collaborating with Kano State Government to engage over 50,000 tomato farmers to produce over 400,000 tonnes of tomato paste annually.
BUA hopes to sink billions of dollars to generate 50mw of electricity and 3 million tonnes of cement. Great community benefits arising even from stable supply of electricity imagined immediately.
The Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, must go the extra mile to actualize his assurance to the investors, that the state government would provide all the necessary support and make available whatever was needed to make the projects a reality.
(Credit: Timawus Mathias )
