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By Chinelo Obogo
Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, has stated that the establishment of a Federal University of Agriculture in Enugu, will help boast agricultural production in the Southeast and the nation at large.
He stated this during a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Agric Colleges and Institutions on the Bill for the establishment of Federal University of Ugbawka.
Nnaji who represents Nkanu East/West Federal Constituency of Enugu State in the National Assembly and is the sponsor of the Bill, said in his his opening remarks that Ugbawka as one of the food baskets of the South East, needs the institution to boost agricultural production capacity in the zone.
He noted that the university when established would improve knowledge and technology in agricultural production for the people of southeast and the nation in general.
“In the Southeast, you have two main popular brands of rice, Abakaliki rice and Ugbawka rice. Ugbawka rice is often referred to as Uncle Ben’s rice because of its quality,” he said.
Nnaji thanked the committee and the leadership of the House for all their support, as representatives of the community, Rex Onyeabor and Fidelis Edeh, who made presentations on behalf of Ugbawka people praised Nnaji for sponsoring the Bill
They both agreed that agriculture has gone beyond subsistent to knowledge and scientific base in order to boast production adding that the advantages of the institution to the South East and the nation could not be overemphasised.
Edeh also presented a document signed by the leaders of the community to prove the community’s willingness to host the institution and provide all the supports needed for its take off when the Bill is eventually signed into law.
