By; MKPUMA ENYINNA, Abakaliki
Abakaliki Rice Mill has been shutdown as a result of the revenue crisis rocking rocking the company.
In a visit to the mill, traders were seen looking frustrated outside the gate, while many vehicles conveying rice and other food commodities were also stationed along the roadside since the gate was locked.
In an interview with some of the traders outside the gate, many of them lamented that the crisis in the market has caused more harm than good as most of them could not buy or sell their commodities.
Mrs. Josephin Okoyo who deals with cow skin popularly known as “ “kanda” explained that the crisis rocking the mill started when some persons demanded for the resignation of the person in charge of the market revenue whose contract has not elapsed, which led to the crisis.
She noted that some persons were injured in the course of the struggle, calling on government to come to their aid because the market is their only source of income.
“They are struggling over the revenue being generated at the gate.The tax collected at the gate was contracted to somebody and his tenure had not elapsed when somebody from the market came and demanded he stops the revenue collection.
“Some people fought and broke their heads over this issue. We want government to come to our aid because this market is our only source of income. As you can see, all of us are outside the gate, we can’t even buy rice nor any other foodstuff to feed our children and it pains me a lot.
Also speaking, one of the drivers conveying foodstuff from Cross River to Ebonyi State, Mr.Mathew Imokunde and James Agbaego lamented that they have been outside the gate since 6:00am with their vehicles loaded with commodities under the sun, saying that they have been without food or water.
They noted that the closure of the gate has made it impossible for them to offload their vehicles which made many people to be stranded.
“I am a driver from Cross River, I have never seen this kind of thing before. I have been outside here since 6:00am under the sun and the gate was locked because of struggle over revenue collection.
“I have not eaten since morning, the rice I am conveying in my vehicle is supposed to be milled and sold, but as you can see, it has not been offloaded from my vehicle. We are just stranded here and nobody has come to our aid.
“The should have allowed us to go inside and offload and go”.
When contacted for his reaction, the chairman of the ricemill industry, Mr.Obaji Linus Nkwuda frowned at the activities of the contractors and said their job was terminated since his assumption into office.
He blamed the closing down of the mill to the contractors refusal of handing over the collection of the internal revenue.
