By: Imo Thomas -Umuahia.
Abia state government has said that it would commence the construction of a 10,000 capacity Modular Refinery at its flagship Abia Industrial Innovation Park(AIIP), project site in Ukwa West L.G.A.
Abia state commissioner for information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday evening while briefing newsmen on the outcome of this week’s EXCO meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti.
He said that the Refinery operated by HSI, with a processing capacity of 10,000 barrels per day, when completed will drive industrialization and Job creation in the state.
“The state government is making steady progress on the AIIP project and to this effect, the payment of compensation to all affected landowners has been completed.
“Bush clearing and earthworks around the project site have commenced, especially around the modular Refinery site. Construction for the Modular Refinery will commence fully during the second quarter of the year, and that’s as we enter the month of May 2025.
“This, of course, is as a result of the approval granted HSI to operate the 10,000 barrels per day capacity Modular Refinery at the AIIP project site, “Prince Kanu stated.
Prince Kanu equally disclosed that the state government is set to flag -off the wet season Rice farming program under its in-growers scheme to strengthen food security across the state.
According to the commissioner the state ministry of Agriculture is set to aggregate farmers cooperatives across various crop value chains and will commence with rice cultivation in a targetted 8500 hectares of land at different communities in the rice cultivation area of Abia North senatorial zone of the state.
“For this flag-off, there are over 400 genuine and authenticated rice farmers at Ndi-Okereke, Abam farming on over 8500 hectares of land have been verified.
“These moves will be replicated at other owned rice farmland at Bende, Nkpa, Ofeme, Ozuitem, Ndi-Okereke, and Ndi-Oji Abam,” the commissioner stated.
In his own contribution during the press briefing, the state commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Cliff Agbaeze addressed concerns on the alleged diversion of Agricultural support for farmers and disclosed that the ministry had initiated a state-wide enumeration process to collect data on real farmers, adding that with the aid of technology, the location of each farmer can easily be verified through a mobile device.
He emphasized that only genuine farmers with actual farms, identified and mapped with precise locations, will qualify for state government intervention, adding that the present administration is committed to depoliticizing agricultural support by ensuring that only genuine farmers benefit from its programs.
He stated that the ongoing data-driven approach would eliminate fraudulent claims and redirect resources to those actively contributing to food production and rural development.
