Abia To Establish 6 Cocoa Estates

Abia State government has proposed to establish six cocoa estates across the state to enhance the economy and create employment opportunities for the youth.

The deputy governor, Ikechukwu Emetu, said this in a keynote address he delivered at the Ist Ohafia Development Dialogue, which was organised by the Mben Political Assembly and Clan Stakeholders at Amaekpu Ohafia.

“Let me gladden your hearts with the approval of our amiable governor, Alex Otti, in listing Ohafia as one of the hosts of the proposed six cocoa estates in the state,” he said.

He expressed great concern about the clan’s prolonged blackout and explained that efforts have been made to address the issue at the national and state levels.

“Before now, my humble self has committed several millions of naira towards the restoration of electricity in Ohafia,” said Emetu, who is from the clan.

“Also, our son and brother, Ibe Osonwa of the House of Representatives, has drawn the attention of the National Assembly to the power outage in Ohafia.

“We are in constant engagement with the Enugu Electricity Development Commission towards the restoration of power in the clan,” he further noted.

In a paper presentation, Nkem Joseph-Palmer, a member of Ohafia Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines, Agriculture underlined the importance of needs assessment framework for the development of the clan.

Earlier in an address, the assembly president, Michael Mba, said the event resulted from various brainstorming sessions by members and interactions “with a broad spectrum of Ohafia stakeholders.”

He noted, “It’s important to note that the assembly, as the only recognised Ohafia political think tank, played a prominent role in galvanising the people towards a common political agenda.