GOVERNOR UMAHI ORDERS CONFISCATION OF FOREIGN RICE IN EBONYI MARKETS, SHOPS.

The Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Umahi on Monday ordered the confiscation of foreign Rice in different markets, shops and other selling points of the products in the state.

Governor Umahi had recently made the pronounced banning the sell of foreign rice in the State over what he described as the health dangers associated with Foreign rice.

The state governor who made the disclosure in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital while performing the ground breaking ceremony of ultra modern Kpirikpiri market urged residents of the state to inform government of anyone bringing into the State and selling of the commodity into the state.

The governor insisted that for one to sell foreign rice in the land of Ebonyi, the person must ensure compliance with all due processes to certify it is not poisonous.

He said, “We have set up a Taskforce and directed them to confiscate foreign rice found in our market.

“The person should give us the certificate of the quality of the rice, you have to prove the import duties you paid for it, where you brought it from and you give us Standard Organization of Nigeria certificate to prove that the rice is not poisonous”.

Gov Umahi said foreign rice is poisonous, “some of these rice were stored for more then 20 years abroad before it would be smuggled into the country”.

“That is why we see cases of cancer, cases of kidney failure and all kinds of diseases that our people were not known for. So you are taking risk if you are selling foreign rice in the land of Ebonyi, “he added.

The governor who said Ebonyi government had enough rice and looking for distributors, advised people to register and become distributors of Ebonyi rice.

He promised to open up modern markets in all the thirteen local government areas of the state and assured that the kpirikpiri market when completed would compete with any other modern market in the country.

Governor Umahi during the ceremony also expressed displeasure with the high level of substandard projects in the ongoing School renovations across the 13 Local Government Areas of the State.

He stated that the State government would soon commence visit of all the project and would not hesitate to demolish any of the project that are viewed to be substandard adding that his administration would never compromise standard.

The noted that after the demolition, the contractor would also be prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others pointing out that all projects executed by his administration must have a lifespan of 50 years.

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade and Investment, Mr. Peter Obah has ordered that all foreign rice in the State must be evacuated or moved out of the state within two weeks.

In a Press statement signed by him and made available to Leadership, the SA warned that no sells, buying or consumption of foreign rice in Ebonyi state would be allowed after 2 weeks.

‘’This is to safeguard the lives of the people who now consume unhealthy substances packaged as foreign rice to Africa in recent time.

‘’Action would commence to impound all foreign rice seen in the state within two weeks of this statement.” NAN.