By Itoro Emefik
The Akwa Ibom state governor, Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel has commissioned a Rice Processing Mill in Asantin, Utit-ikpe in Ini local government area with the Chairman Leak Chad Basin Commission and his counterparts in Ini saying the product of the factory will be released into the market to reduce the price of rice during the festive season.
Governor Emmanuel said his administration is working hard to ensure that 80 percent of the food consumed in the state will be produced locally. Mr. Emmanuel thanked the host community for creating a conducive environment for the rice mill to be established, pointing out that the government will launch a cocoa processing in Ini next year, “l promise Akwa Ibom people that the Christmas of this year, I will upload a whole lot of Ibom rice into the market. This same Ini until we came in, they did not have public power supply for over seven years and I want to tell you after the first phase that is on now, latest first week of January, am going to commission the second phase of the power project then after that we will go into the third phase and when I come to commission the power project, I will Commission the cocoa processing factory in Ini and I promise you, is going to be a development all the way.”
On his part, the Commissioner for Commerce and Investment, Prince Akpabio said the inauguration of the rice mill brings the number of industry established by Udom administration to 15 in the state.