Abakaliki Rice Millers Battle Govt Over Relocation Order

The order issued by the Ebonyi State Government to rice millers in Abakaliki to relocate, has pitched the millers in a cold war with the government as they have vehemently rejected the order.

Consequently, the millers have accused the government of insensitivity over their investments in the state, insisting appropriate compensation for their investments which reportedly runs into several billions of naira.

The state government which recently announced the relocation of the rice mill located in the capital territory to three sites acquired by the government at Ikwo, Oso-Edda and Iboko without formally informing the miller’s association has angered the millers.

As a consequence, the Abakaliki Rice Mill Owners Industrial Enterprise, headed by Deacon Joseph Ununu has called on the state government to reconsider the deadline given to them and extend it by over one year to enable them recover from the economic implication of the relocation exercise.

Deacon Ununu told The Tide source that “since the announcement started running on air, amplified by newspaper publications we have been gripped with mixed feelings, especially as we are left with no information concerning the relocation process”, he lamented.

Over the years, we taxed ourselves and built projects which were all capital intensive within the location of the rice mill.

From the office complex to the main gate, we levied ourselves including all the lock-up shops.

“All these trying years, we were left alone to build every shop for our teeming customers and traders to enable them have a better place to operate because our business is not something to be done in the open.

“If there is too much rain it will damage our product so also when there is too much sun, it will make our rice to be over dry” he explained.

He explained that the mill proper has over 260 buildings containing 12 milling machines each and that was where the rice was milled.

He also said there was a nearby market which was also built by the association to provide the needs of those who patronise them.

“We deemed it necessary that when you come to this place to buy rice there could be need for you to buy other ingredients to help you. Prepare your rice and that is why all the ingredients needed for it are sold there”.

In all, Deacon Ununu said despite the huge amounts of human and material resources his association has put in making the rice mill what it was today, the Ebonyi State Government has not deemed it fit to consider the economic survival of his members while giving the order for relocation and described the move as insensitivity on the part of government.