Ebonyi State: Rice Mill Leadership Tussle

By Priscilla Eke

Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) agent at the Abakaliki Rice Mill industry, Comrade Nwabueze Ununu, has raised alarm over alleged threat to his life.

Ununu who was contracted by the Ebonyi State Government to collect revenue from millers and buyers at the mill alleged that he was attacked by thugs last week on Friday, 27th September 2019 and on Monday 30th September 2019.

According to him, more than 50 thugs attacked his shops at the factory, beat him up and devastated his products and other profitable properties. He further blamed the new administration for the plant of unlawfully expelling him as the factory IGR gatherer and supplanting him with unapproved people when as indicated by him, he has been transmitting N1.3million month to month into the Ebonyi State Government account as determined by the contract paper.

Comrade Nwabueze Ununu in his words said, “today Monday 30th September 2019, thugs invaded my shop where I stay to collect IGR of which I am remitting N1.3million monthly into the government account. I have paid for two months I have worked. So, the thugs chased away all my 15 staff and took over the collection threatening that if I come there, they will kill me. Policemen were the ones that rescued me, without policemen I would have been a dead person.

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He continued, “some persons approached me and pleaded with me to bring the matter out of the police for an amicable resolution which I did. My life is at risk in light of the fact that these hooligans are flaunting that they will slaughter me. I have sought refuge, I can’t walk uninhibitedly in the streets”.He said

In an interview with the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Rice Mill, Samuel Ogodo, he denied attack on Ununu saying he was rather attacked by Ununu when he was going around the mill sensitizing the millers and workers about new development in the industry over the sales of rice bags which did not go down well with Ununu.

Mr. Ogodo disclosed that the new leadership of the industry recently banned individuals from selling the bags to buyers and announced that only the leadership and union will be in charge of the sales. He maintained that Some millers including Ununu allegedly kicked against and when he was on inspection, on getting to Ununu’s shop, he was attacked.

Mr. Ogodo disclosed that the new administration of the industry as of late prohibited people from selling the bags to purchasers and declared that lone the authority and association will be accountable for the deals. He kept up that some mill operators including Ununu purportedly kicked against and when he was on an investigation, on getting to Ununu’s shop, he was attacked.