BY PETER OKUTU

ABAKALIKI—EBONYI State government yesterday vowed to eject rice millers by all means over alleged expiration of  tenure of the current executive and presumed crisis in the company.

But chairman of the company, Deacon Joseph Ununu, said the government had no powers over the company, saying it was a private concern and not an agency of government.
He also alleged that the state government was deliberately stoking crisis in the company, with the intention of in stalling its own executive.

When our correspondent visited the mill, there was peace and harmony in the area as customers and operators of the mill were seen going about their lawful businesses without any form of chaos and disaffection.
A source close to the mill alleged that the state government, having failed in its attempt to relocate the rice millers, decided to set up an alleged  4-man caretaker committee, headed by Patrick Mbam, to handle the operations of the company without due process.

It was gathered that the committee members stormed the company with some hoodlums and carted away over N1m cash, the daily sales register of the company, radio among other valuables.
State Commissioner for Border, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Chief Donatus Aja, who confirmed that security agents, including the police, State Security Service, SSS, would be mobilized to the mill on May 12, 2014, to chase out it occupants, following reports of crisis in the area.