RSG Assures On Agro-Industrial Village

The Rivers State Government says, there will be no going
back on the proposed Rivers Agro Industrial Village also known as the  Rivers Adama project to be sited in Etche.

Agreement for the project, which  will cost $140 million, was recently signed by the state governor, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the L R Group of Israel.

Speaking when he visited the Onye Ishi Etche, Eze E.N.B.
Opurum at Ndashi Etche, the Exectutive Director of the Rivers State Sustainable
Development Agency (RSSDA), Mr Noble Pepple described the Agric project as
strategic to the transformation process of the state.

Mr. Pepple said that the project, which will be completed in
24 months will incorporate Agriculture with industrial and infrastructural
development.

He said that the situation will see to the development of
three modern Agro villages with 300 homes that will create 4,000 employment
opportunities and attract modern amenities to the people.

The RSSDA Executive Director assured that the land
acquisition process for the project will not displace any community and urged
the people of Etche to be grateful to the state government for considering the
area as host community.

Other areas to be visited by RSSDA team are Odagwa,
Okoroagu, Ulakwo, Akwa and Egwi, Mr. Pepple hinted.

Responding, the Onye Ishi of Etche, Eze E.N.B Opurum said
that the visit has allayed fears that the project will be abandoned like other
white  elephant projects, and hoped that
owners of land to be acquired would be compensated adequately.

Eze Opurum also stressed the need for the incorporation of
cassava into the project to ensure full participation by the people who are
largely cassava farmers.

Earlier, the state Commissioner for Energy and Natural
Recources, Hon. Okey Amadi had said that the people of Etche were lucky to be
considered for the project, which he said, will create employment opportunities
for the people of the area.