Ebonyi state government has expressed serious disappointment on the leadership of Rice Mill Dealers Association, Abakaliki, on the ground that some adulterated and poisonous rice were found in the shops been owned by some leaders of the market and thereby suspended all the leadership of the market indefinitely and directed that the market be reopened to avoid the innocent ones suffering.
Dr Kenneth Ugbala, leader of the inter-ministerial committee set up by the government to investigate the matter, made this known to newsman while briefing on the government decision to reopening the market with immediate effect.
According to the state government who frowned at the attitude of the market leadership that were supposed to be the laison officers between the market and the government promised to institute acting leadership in the market in collaboration with the committee set to investigate the matter.
Ugbala maintained that the reason for sealing the market was to recover other poisonous rice so that the lives of Ebonyians and Nigeria in general will not feel any pain while purchasing the Abakaliki Rice.
“If there are people who should feel the welfare of the people, it should be the leaders of the market, but since we cannot find them worthy, of representing the people to the extend that the primary reason for bringing them to the authority of the market, we are hereby suspending all their leadership indefinitely.”
He further made it known that a team of experts who visited the market on Wednesday has sanitised the market particularly the shops where the poisonous rice were discovered and evacuated. He also disclosed that all shops where the poisonous rice were discovered, will continue to be sealed for due investigation by security agencies and other ministry, department of the agencies, to make sure that where the poisonous rice came from is fished out.
Also Ebonyi state government equally directed the members of the public who purchased any rice from the market during that same period and is under suspicious of the rice, should made it available to the Ministry of Environment, agriculture, and health to widescreen and carry out test of the rice to make sure that the lives of Ebonyians are well protected.
He then called on the general public never to panic as the market the market has been senitized.
“No Ebonyians should live in panic because the government has done what they supposed to do and we are sure that the market is now senitised and people should go about their normal business without panic”.
Chief Donatus Njoku, the state Commissioner for Environment, noted that a total of 378 bags were confisticated from 10 shops at the mill during the committee’s screening exercise. Also, sealed were two shops found with substandard weight measurement in the market until the security agencies conclude their investigation.
He urged the general public to be rest assured that Abakaliki rice still remain the best in the market.
Prof Fedilis Okpata, the Deputy Chief of Staff Ebonyi State, commended the state government for its pro-active measure in intervening in the recent fake and adulterated rice saga in Abakaliki Rice mill.
He maintained that the leadership should be overhauled to enable the government to Interact with the rice mill dealers for a new leadership.
He further disclosed that rice seed that were a distribution to Ebonyi farmers for planting were also seen processing in one of the shops and assured that investigation is still ongoing to find out how the rice seed got their ways to the rice mill.
Philip Enworo in his own urged the rice mill dealers to produce the hoodlums they hired to attack the state government for during their investigations.
Recalled that the ministry of environment on Tuesday, August 28, during their rotten check, discovered that Abakaliki rice mill was filtered with adulterated rice which was said to be poisonous as it is boldly written that it is not good for human consumption.
It is also on a note that some of the dealers who brought the rice has been arrested and bags of rice numbering over 40 was discovered and were handed over to the police together with the suspects.
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