The Ebonyi Government and rice millers at the popular Abakaliki Rice Mill, have debunked reports that the entire mill was razed by fire which damaged several property.
Chief Moses Nome, State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday that the news about the fire was mischievous. “The entire mill was not engulfed by the fire but one milling line, which burnt about six shops and destroyed property.
“The Abakaliki rice mill contains over 100 milling lines and it was only the line ‘13’ that was affected by the fire outbreak.“It is then unfortunate for anyone to conclude or report that the rice mill was engulfed by fire and this shows that the fight against fake news should be intensified in the country,” he said.
The commissioner said that the fire outbreak was caused by negligence as efforts would be intensified to enlighten the millers on safety practices. “One of the millers did not switch off the electrical appliance in his shop and the harmattan increased the damage experienced. Read more