Polycarp Sola -Abakaliki
As the countdown to the end of the year 2024 continues to pour in reflections from individuals, governments, and businesses, the Abakaliki rice mill industry is not left behind, as its chairman, Hon. Linus Obeji, has attributed the company’s achievements so far to Governor Nwifuru’s executive order, which has allowed them to operate as an independent, incorporated entity.
According to Hon. Obeji, who was engaged in a media chat with journalists in the Abakaliki rice mill industry, the current administration of Governor Nwifuru has not only provided credit facilities to its members alone but has also ensured that there’s peaceful coexistence among mill owners, as well as allowed members to choose their leaders independently.
“We have enjoyed the administration of the current government, unlike before, when the government would come and impose leadership. Today, His Excellency, Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, has allowed us the opportunity to govern ourselves as a cooperated body, because this is a cooperated entity under the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
“Today, we are managing ourselves because the governor has said that we are an independent body and the owners of this business; hence we should manage ourselves in peace, and that is a wonderful achievement in this administration because there’s no more leadership tussle but peaceful coexistence.” Obeji said.
Issues with under-measurements;
In a view of the company’s achievements in the year 2024, Hon. Obeji enumerated various areas that include but are not limited to success recorded in the handling of fraudulent activities involving the use of scale measurement to shortchange customers.
He said that since the inception of his tenure as the rice mill chairman, customers have enjoyed the value of their money by getting a full delivery of their goods without shortage, accrediting the success to Governor Nwifuru, who had insisted that the company return to the use of their bushels for measurement.
“Immediately he came into office, he intervened in the Abakaliki rice mill industry; the peace and many other credible practices in the rice mill today are because he has issued an executive order that anyone who engages in undermeasurement in the Abakaliki rice mill shall be persecuted and made to suffer the consequences.
“And since then, nobody has cried out over shortchanges, unlike before, when you will be hearing of under measurement in the Abakaliki rice mill, and by the special grace of God, I will accredit that to His Excellency, who is a great builder, R. T. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.” He stated.
Migration from processing to production;
The chairman, who informed journalists that the company has migrated from an ordinary processing company to a producing company, said the cooperation between the farmers and the mill owners has enabled them to provide credit facilities to farmers, who then produce and return to process the product at the mill to yield more profits for the business.
Security and Social Infrastructure;
According to Hon. Obeji, for the first time in the history of the Abakaliki rice mill industry, his administration has constructed 15 bedroom toilets and bathrooms for workers and customers, as well as provided a canteen for individuals to eat good food within its premises.
Also, the provision of a police post in the company is a maiden, which has helped to curb crime such as theft, among other vices in the company.
He added that barricades within lines A, B, and C have been removed to allow trucks to gain access through the company with the rehabilitation of road networks across the mill.
Speaking of prospect, he said;
“With the way we are going in the Abakaliki rice mill industry, we are going to represent what Ukraine is to the world in terms of grain production.
“The Abakaliki rice mill industry would eventually become the Ukraine of Africa because we have the capacity to feed the entire country.
“We have also engaged with the government to enable us to engage in all-round farming, and they have promised to help us venture into irrigation farming, and with that, the Abakaliki rice mill industry will occupy a large space in terms of food supply, not only in Nigeria but in all of Africa.
“Before now, we used to export the rice to Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. With the help of the government, we would be able to produce more and generate more revenue because most of us working here are all graduates and well established to employ others.” He said.