— Appeal for functional Milling Industry at Nwandenwu
By Nwogha Ndubuisi, Abakaliki
As farmer harvest their produce in different communities in Ebonyi state,Paddy Rice traders have appealed to the state government led by Engr.Dave Umahi to dualize the road leading to Nwandenwu Paddy Rice market inorder to ameliorate their plight.
Nwandenwu Paddy Rice market located in Izzi Council Area is the major market with approximately 1000 bags of Paddy Rice sold each market of their four days.
Turning Point correspondent who visited the market observed that the road leading to the biggest Paddy market in the council area which is over ten kilometers away from Iboko, Izzi LGA headquarters is not motorable resulting to farmers not bringing their produce to the popular Abakaliki Rice Mill,hence, the people urged the state government to install functional Milling Industry in the area.
Speaking with one of the farmers who gave his name as Mr. Mbam Ewugo, he lamented that the road leading to the market has been abandoned by both Council Chairman and the state government despite Umahi road network transformation currently ongoing in different parts of the state.
The aged farmers while interacting with our reporter narrated how they protected their vote in the past electioneering period in ensuring they returned the incumbent governor to power, hoping to get the Community dualize for the interest of the villagers.
He admonished the state Governor to extend his road transformation network to the area as no community in Izzi Council Area can boost of good road which according to him is what keeps Chief Jim Nwobodo fresh in their memory with Iboko-Nwofe Agbaja road network.
Another farmer, Mr. Nweke Ucha blamed state government of neglect, noting that they hear over the wireless how every part of the state has gotten dividend of good governance of the current administration but they were abandoned despite government evangelization to civil servant to engage in farming.
He described government as hypocrite who says one and does another, stressing that Federal and state government have not proven that they are ready to promote agriculture as good road network is a major motivator to farmer.
He called governor Umahi to dualize the road leading to the market as a way to bring investors to the area with it’s rich arable land.
Lending her voice,a trader, Mrs.Nnenna Obeji tasked state government to open rice milling industry in the area to boost economy of the people.
She noted that with the opening of milling industry in the community, Urban migration would reduce as the people are major rice and yam farmers who have expanse of land for their agricultural business
