Ebonyi farmers for mechanised agriculture training

Health school may be sanctioned over abuse of students

FARMERS in Ebonyi State will soon begin training on the use of modern agricultural equipment, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Uchenna Orji, has disclosed.

Meanwhile, the government said it is committed to ending the increasing cases of extortion and sexual abuses, among other criminal activities going on in the School of Health Technology, Ngbo.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dan Umezurike, told the students during his familiarisation visit to the school that the ministry was not aware that they were being extorted through handouts, which he described as illegal, exploitative and unacceptable.

A majority of the students had lamented that they were being extorted whereas snakes chase them out of the classrooms because the environment is bushy. Also, the principal, Martin Igwe, regretted that the past administration neglected the school, adding that the only structures there were built during Dr. Sam Egwu’s administration.

He lamented that the institution has neither toilet nor internet facilities aid convenience and studies respectively. The Students Union President, Ogonnaya Okorie, said that handouts cost as high as N20,000 while the lecturers abuse the female students sexually.

At a joint media briefing in Abakaliki with his Information and Orientation counterpart, Dr. Emmanuel Onwe, Orji said the state government has engaged some “expatriates to train the farmers in the use of mechanised agricultural equipment,” which it procured to aid revolution in the sector.

Also, five hectres of land has been acquired and cleared at the Ebonyi State University (EBSU) permanent site for the exercise, which will benefit registered farmers and cooperative societies, he said, even as parboiling machines would soon be installed at the three government-owned modern rice mills for maximum utility.

And restating government’s commitment to the capital city’s urban renewal programme to enhance its beauty and status, Onwe said the Executive Council has directed the Ministry of Environment to demolish all illegal structures in the capital city and also plant ornamental trees along the streets.

According to him, the council also approved N100 million to enable the state Ministry of Power continue with the ongoing urban street light project, which will go alongside the ongoing rehabilitation of 200 kilometres of urban street roads by the works ministry.

This would “ensure that each road reconstructed is accompanied with street light, water and environmental sanitation facilities,” just as N60 million was approved for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Meat Market abattoir and provision of a cold room.