By IHECHINYERE CHIGEMERI-UWOM

The Commissioner for Agriculture in Abia, Mrs. Monica Ironkwe, has said that the State Government is intensifying plans to revitalise its moribund farm estates in different parts of the state.

Ironkwe said this while addressing stakeholders from Ndi-Oji Abam, Arochukwu Local Government Area (LGA), who paid a courtesy visit to her in Umuahia on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ndi-Oji Abam is the host community to the Abia Rubber Plantation.

The commissioner said that government was prepared to partner genuine investors to revamp all the farm estates, currently lying moribund, for the benefit of the host communities and state at large.

She said that the purpose for siting the estates in the communities was to create wealth, employment and improve rural economy.

She further said that government had observed that some portions of the various existing estates had been illegally acquired and occupied by either private organisations or individuals.

She said that the government would recover all the parcels of land illegally occupied in the various farm estates.

According to her, the illegal occupation was hindering the realisation of the objective for which the estates were set up.

Ironkwe said that Gov. Alex Otti-led administration was dutifully poised to boost socio-economic growth and transformation of the state through agriculture.

She said that the government would rehabilitate the roads in and around the plantation “to provide easy access to the various markets in the area”.

She advised farmers to form cooperatives to enable them to access government’s support.

Earlier, the Spokesman for the community, Mr Herbert Okpi, said that the rubber estate, which was established in 1963, had not yeilded any benefit to the host community.

“It is disappointing that the estate has not improved the fortunes of the host community since it was set up,” Okpi said.

He said that the development informed the decision by the community “to interface with the government for prompt intervention in reviving the estate and transforming the area.

“We have a rubber plantation that is as old as 60 years, if not more, but the benefits to the community are almost zero.

“The roads are very bad.

“Ndi-Oji Abam is under Arochukwu LGA, but there is no access road from the community to Arochukwu.

“If you want to go to the council headquarters, you have to pass through either Akwa Ibom or Ohafia.

“This is in spite of the fact that millions of naira are being harnessed and taken away from that community on a yearly basis,” he said.

Okpi, who rerired as a Director in NAN, expressed the hope that the present administration would address the ugly situation and fulfill its campaign promise to the community. (NAN)

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