Abia as a major has concluded plans to establish a cocoa factory in Ikwuano Local government area of the state.
The Deputy Chief of Staff in the office of the Deputy Governor, Chief Charles Ogbonna stated this Tuesday in Umuahia when he stepped out of the state House of Assembly committee room after defending the 2014 budget proposal of the office of the Deputy Governor, stating that the factory would soon takeoff.
Chief Ogbonna explained that the choice of Ikwuano was because the area is the number one cocoa area in the state and produces the bulk of the cocoa for which the state is known for in the country.
He said all arrangements have been concluded, pointing out that when realized, the state can boost of more cocoa products in the state which will increase the revenue intake of the state.
The Deputy Chief of staff disclosed that the office of the Deputy Governor which is in charge of cocoa matters in the state has not relented in the pursuit of improvements in cocoa production in the state, stating that paucity of fund informed their silence over the matter, noting that the office is in charge of the situation.
According to him, the state Governor is agriculture friendly and would not leave any stone unturned to maintain the state as the number one cocoa producer in the country.
On the 2014 budget proposal from his office, Chief ogbonna said it was just a little adjustment on what was proposed in 2013, stating that the office does not generate any revenues, but needed fund to handle its traditional functions in matters relating to and playing complimentary roles through some of the statutory things the office is doing like the cocoa, inland deport, airport and boundary matters.
These, he said are the matters the state House of Assembly looked into, stating that they will come out with their approval later.
