Why Ebonyi banned sale of foreign rice in markets, hotels – Commissioner

The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chief Moses Ogodoali Nomeh, has explained why the state tooktougher stand on imported rice. Speaking with Daily Trust in Abuja, the commissioner said the action has become necessary to chart a new economic course for the state. “On coming on board, I stopped the sale of […]

The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chief Moses Ogodoali Nomeh, has explained why the state tooktougher stand on imported rice.

Speaking with Daily Trust in Abuja, the commissioner said the action has become necessary to chart a new economic course for the state.

“On coming on board, I stopped the sale of foreign rice even in the hotels, not only in the markets. I don’t want to sight foreign rice at all in Ebonyi, because we produce enough and our young ones are encouraged to go to the farm; if you produce and you can’t sell, you cannot go back to the farm.  If we allow foreign rice to fill Ebonyi, we can no longer sell and then our people will go to Abuja and stand by the road side and start selling pure water,” he said.

Chief Nomeh said there was money in farming and value chain development, adding that he was working with the NNPC on the development of bio-fuel where the state will use cassava to produce fuel, noting that those were goldmines people never thought about.

“All I’m saying is that it is better to start your life with farming than to start your life with politics. I have done a critical analysis of life and I discover that to do a campaign for councillorship in the poorest of the poor, you need an average of N5 million to do it and stay in the office for may be two years . But in rice production, anywhere you invest five million, you are going to make profit of N10 million and you make it in 120 days, if you have the capacity to turn it around, you can do it twice a year and the money will double, if that is the case why are our young ones running into politics, why can’t we use the God gift that is in the land to change our narrative and feed our country,” he asked.