People of Amaeke Abam in Arochukwu Local government Area of Abia State, one of the host communities of Abia Rubber Estate, have petitioned Governor Okezie Ikpeazu over the mismanagement of the Estate by various investors, and for the payment of N2.8 million royalties owed them by the state ministry of agriculture.
In the petition written on behalf of the community and dated March 31, 2017, by Obasi Awa and Associates, solicitors and advocates for the community, stated that the Rubber Estate was one of the legacies of the Eastern Nigeria, adding the estates were established under specific terms that took into account the policy of government, the interest of land donor communities and that of the workers employed in the estates.
The petitioners also informed Governor Ikpeazu that sadly in 1988 the government of old Imo State introduced leasing out the estate to contractors, noting that this development had frustrated the growth of the estate.
They stated that as of 2015, a company known as Imoniyame Nigeria Limited was managing the estate but on ground of incompetence and mismanagement the state government determined the contract.
“It is worthy of mention that right from 1988 the companies that were contracted to manage the Rubber Estates had interest in extracting the latex which they in turned into lumps and transported it to wherever destination. The end result was always a negative report of low sales, failure to pay royalties due to my clients and inability to pay workers.
“It is even more pathetic that workers work on casual basis with no specific terms. The rubber estates have been allowed to grow into thick bush and for that, my clients, communities now, unwillingly house over 500 cows that graze within and outside the estate, which is a source of threat to my clients,” the petition stated.
The community through the petition appealed to the Abia Governor to look beyond sycophants, praise singers and sheer political patronage but extend invitation to real investors/industrialists such as Dangotes, Innosons, and Adetolas who should be given chance to manage the Estates adding that they were ready to assist the state government in attracting such calibre of investors/industrialists.
The petitioners also appealed to the Governor to intervene in the delay/failure by Ministry of Agriculture, Abia state to release their outstanding sum of one million, three hundred and fifty thousand being part of the royalty accruable to the in 2016.
The petition further informed the Governor that there was an agreement between them and Ministry of Agriculture that the sum of N4.8 million be held in trust by the ministry for Amaeke Abam people pending when an election into Amaeke Development Union was conducted.
“Thereafter, a letter was expected to be written to the Ministry of Agriculture upon which the above stated sum would be remitted into the Account of my clients. Part of the money was paid and efforts made towards recovering the balance of N1.35 million has proved abortive.”
They appealed to Governor Ikpeazu to prevail on the ministry to pay the balance of the money.
Uzor Azubuike, Abia commissioner for agriculture, who received the a copy of the petition on behalf of the Governor promised the people of the host community that all their complaints would be looked into by the Governor with a view to giving solution to them.
He appealed to them to remain calm and law abiding, as all the problems would be resolved.
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