Abakaliki Rice Millers Threaten Strike

Rice millers at
Abakaliki Rice Mill Company have threatened to stop work if the state government persists with its threat to forcefully relocate them.
The chairman of the mill, Chief Joseph Ununu who made this known to our correspondent at the weekend said his association was reacting to the state governor’s recent statement that the environmental status of the mill made the rice unhygienic.
“This relocation issue is distracting us, we will be forced to down tools to see whether the government will be pleased,” he said.
According to him, the millers would mill enough rice and preserve in order to sustain their families and gather all the mill on daily basis without doing anything.
Ununu said there had been any reported case of ill health caused by the consumption of rice prepared by them.
He said environmental experts continually assess their surroundings and have always certified them fit for operation.
“The governor (Elechi) buys our rice always; he used our rice for campaigns during his first and second tenures,” he said.
The millers boss further explained that the rice used by local government chairmen and traditional rulers to pay him homage were all from the Abakaliki Rice Mill.
He noted that the millers would readily relocate to any site if facilities that would enable them to operate optimally were provided.
“Our machines do not operate under the sun or rain, so we need facilities where we will install the machines and preserve our produce.”
“The new mills constructed by the government are not yet functional and do not have the necessary facilities that will make us relocate from our present site” he said.