deposits

Accra, Aug.11, GNA - The Zabzugu-Tatale District Assembly in the Northern Region on Monday called on the central government to woo investors for the exploitation of over three billion tonnes of iron ore deposit at Sheini, a farming community in the District.

Alhaji Yakubu Bukari, District Chief Executive, who made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said the Geological Survey Department concluded a report on the economic viability of the huge mineral deposit decades ago, "but so far nothing has been done about it".

He said some Russian investors showed interest in the venture during the First Republic, but abandon the project when Dr Nkrumah's regime was overthrown in 1966.

The DCE expressed the hope that President John Agyekum Kufuor's vision of a "Golden Age of Business" coupled with the conducive atmosphere for investment in the country should make it possible for the District to attract the urgently needed investments.

"The District Assembly is ready to offer the needed assistance and co-operation to the would-be investors," he said.

He said the 18 kilometres road linking Sheini to Zabzugu; the District capital was undergoing rehabilitation to facilitate economic activities.

Alhaji Bukari said the District was hooked to the National Electricity Grid and could also showcase other amenities that could make any capital investment in the area possible.

"We can also boast of good clay for industrial use, bamboo, sheanut, dawadawa, teak, kapok and mango plantations. "Zabzugu-Tatale has large tract of fertile land for animal husbandry and agriculture production.

Alhaji Bukari said the District would benefit from the government's six-year Livestock Development Project for which it has contracted a loan of 24.8 million dollars from the African Development Bank. He expressed the need for the improvement of health services in the District with a population of 79,201 through the provision of well-equipped clinics and the posting of more medical personnel to manage them.

The District, which was carved out of the former East Dagomba District in 1989, is located in the eastern corridor of the Northern Region and covers an area of about 2,332 square kilometres. The main economic activity of the District is rain fed agriculture, with the main crops being yam, millet and maize. 11 Aug. 03

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