The General Manager of Adapalm Nigeria Limited, Hon. Goddy Esom Obodo (Ph. D), has said that the abandoned Adapalm has the capacity to feed the whole of south east, with benefits and opportunity for export..
Speaking to the members of Forum of Imo Newspaper Editors (FINE) last Wednesday, he noted that because of the abandonment by past administration of Okorocha, the plantation has been over grown by forest, grass, weed among others, adding that what is needed is to inject money into it and jack it up for maximum results.
Obodo hinted that the government of Sen. Hope Uzodimma has shown interest in revamping and bringing the place to its feet again.
“By the time I was appointed, nothing was on ground because this place was closed down. After the close down, hoodlums both human and materials took over the place. The place was militarized and vandalization was taken place, no office space, everything abandoned”. He submitted.
“I am sent in to recover Adapalm. Having succeeded in puting up an administrative office, I started coordinating the staffing system. Prior to my arrival, there no file, no paper, no staff list, no staff records, nothing on ground.
The mill environment was the only place you could stay. I was at the mill for one year before coming up with an administrative office that we are staying now.
He noted that the palms have outlived their usefulness, stressing that ‘we need to replant to get their maximum results’. However we have started replanting especially those places that the trees were fell. “We need to install brand new mill, we need more money to inject into the company. We need donors, international agencies, agricultural banks and good spirited individuals to come in and develop this area. Adapalm is ready if supported further will create employment of 20,000 people.
Obodo posited that the company is expecting seed cash, foreign partners to revamp the place. We have chosen to plant pineapples apart (5000 seedlings) from the palms to increase production.
Imo has chosen Palm oil and pineapple production for export. We can bring in timber industry here to convert into wood. And that’s a whole lot of money just like you have in Malaysia. All we need is to bring in the strength and might.
He urged the Editors to continue to partner with Adapalm to increase production and ensure the needed internally generated revenue, especially that if Adapalm comes to life fully, it will improve the economy of the south east.
